His Angel
by Belial the Liar
Summary: What if Raynare changed her mind? What if instead of being a pervert, Issei was just a loser? Single pairing romance, Raynare X Issei, lots of fluff. First couple of chapters are super edgy/angsty, but it gets way better, I promise. One lemon, that's what the M is for. Read and Review. (Cover art by GotMegaMilk)
1. No date this time

"W-would you go out with me?"

The question rang in Issei's ears. Was this actually happening? A cute girl was asking him out? This had to be a dream, right? There's no way in hell a girl this cute would ask out a nobody like him.

Issei pinched himself. Nope, not a dream. A prank or a dare, then? Of course. Issei had almost let himself forget. Some girls used 'ask out our school's biggest loser' as a rite of passage. That had to be what this is.

"Look, I'm sorry your friends forced you to do this, but don't tease me, okay? It's hard enough to just be lonely. Sorry you wasted your time." Issei moved to walk past the girl on the bridge.

Raynare was shocked. Issei was seriously so sad that he automatically assumed she was being forced to do this? Well, she was, but that's not the point. Even if her goal was to kill him, it made her sad for him.

"F-forced? What makes you say that?" She asked, stepping in front of him. He sighed, and resigned himself to humiliation. Even if it was just a joke at his expense, he was happy it was a cute girl.

"No one asks out a huge loser just cus. Especially not a cute girl like you. Don't do this to me…" he said, bracing for the moment when her friends would jump out of a bush or something with cameras, like every other time.

 _He thinks I'm cute?_ Raynare blushed, despite herself. Even with her mission, she couldn't help feeling drawn to the boy. He was obviously depressed, and someone like him wouldn't have a soul in the world to confide in. Once again, she felt a pang of sadness for him.

"I'm being serious, Hyoud-" "Please, if you have an ounce of mercy in your soul, please don't do this to me...please…" she was beyond surprised. He had a tear in his eye. Who hurt this boy so much?

He was begging, _pleading_ for her not to break his heart. They'd known each other for less than five minutes, and already he was terrified she'd toy with him. Just what in the world had happened to Issei Hyoudou? His face was pointed at the ground and tears fell from his eyes.

"Issei Hyoudou. Look at me. Look. At. Me." She said, gesturing to her eyes. Slowly, with all the fear of a beaten dog, he did. He looked her in the eye. She saw how scared he was. ' _He's terrified.'_ she thought to herself. _'He is absolutely terrified that I'm going to hurt him. And, for some reason…so am I.'_

Raynare looked him right in his scared eyes, and said, "Issei Hyoudou. I am asking you out for me and me alone. Whether or not you believe me is up to you, but I really hope…that you'll say yes…" she started off confident and assured, but as his face slowly started to fill with hope, she lost her momentum. She was _guilty_.

Fallen Angels were sinful creatures. By their very nature, they didn't often feel guilt. But Raynare, in that moment, felt worse than she had in her entire existence, even worse than when she Fell. She was asking for his trust, for his hope, and her sole intention was to murder him. She was ashamed, but nevertheless, she continued.

"Please, Hyoudou-kun." she said, desperately. Issei sighed again. He glanced around, seemingly looking for something, and his hopeful expression fell once again into despair.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He said. "You can tell your friends I said no. Again, sorry to waste your time." He pointed towards a rustling bush where the distinct shape of two humans stuck out like a sore thumb.

"No, Issei, wait! Wait…" Leaving Raynare standing there, Issei walked off the bridge, and went home. She didn't know it, but he'd cry tonight. She'd been right on the money when she guessed he was depressed.

Raynare walked to the bushes where he'd claimed to see her 'friends' hiding. Surely enough, Kalawarner and Mittlet were there, both with solemn faces. "That could've gone better…" Kalawarner said.

"That poor boy…" Mittelt mumbled. No one present really _wanted_ to kill the boy, but orders were orders, and Kokabiel was clear on his. ' _Do_ _ **not**_ _allow this boy to awaken his sacred gear. Kill him before that happens.'_ Those had been his exact words.

The plan was easy, and only required one person, other than Issei: Raynare. Raynare would ask him out, go on a date with him, and then at the end of the day, when he was comfortable and feeling secure, she'd kill him.

But, little did they know, Issei was damaged goods. He'd probably never trust a girl again, much less a cute one asking him out on a date for no good reason. Their plan was doomed to fail.

"What are you two doing here?! I had that under control!" Raynare yelled at them angrily. She didn't, in fact, but she might have gotten somewhere if he hadn't seen them. Oh well.

"My ass you did. He was terrified of you. Probably reminded him of a something gnarly. Maybe he got tricked into pulling his pants down in front of the school?" Kalawarner suggested. Raynare sighed, defeated. No, she definitely _hadn't_ had that under control. Truth be told, she barely had herself under control. The pure _sadness_ radiating off of Issei Hyoudou was almost enough to have her call the whole mission off and leave him alone. Almost. No, she'd felt sad and guilty for what she was doing, but she wasn't about to risk Kokabiel's wrath for some kid.

Or so she thought.

* * *

It was the next day, at school. The lunch bell rang. Issei packed his bag, stood, and left the class. He didn't speak to anyone, and he tried not to look anyone in the eye. Looking people in the eyes only made them more likely to pick on him.

See, Issei was an average guy. He wasn't super smart, wasn't athletic, couldn't smooth talk anyone, and he definitely wasn't gorgeous. So, people tended to overlook him. He had absolutely _no_ defining traits.

Though, for some reason or another, kids liked to bully him. Every day since he was a small child, he'd been picked on and pushed around. Today, he thought, would be no different. He was wrong.

It started off just like it normally does. He parents give him money for lunch, and naturally, the school bully smelled it on him. So, he'd ambushed Issei outside where _everyone_ could see, right in the middle of the school courtyard. Even people on the road passing by could see the spectacle.

"Come on, Matsuda, don't take my money, man…" Issei was rewarded for the statement with a punch to the gut, knocking him to the ground.

"Don't talk to me like we're friends, chump. Now shut up and do what I say, or else." Issei sighed. It was always the same.

Bark like a dog.

"Bark like a dog!" Matsuda yelled at him.

Issei did. "Wood, woof."

What kind of bark was that? He'd say.

"What kind of bark was that? Louder!"

So Issei would be louder. "Woof, woof!"

By this point, kids would start to stare and laugh. Occasionally, the student council would reprimand Matsuda, but today wasn't one of those lucky days, so Issei had to suffer. Just like always.

Now, roll over.

"Now roll over!"

Issei didn't. Issei was thinking.

' _Why is it always me? Why am I the one who has to suffer for their sick kicks? Why do I have to be embarrassed and humiliated for them to be happy? I'm sick of it!'_ Issei thought, fuming.

"Oi, mutt, are you listening? Roll over, I said!" Matsuda kicked at Issei's face.

Issei was ready. He grabbed Matsuda's foot, and yanked him off balance, causing the bald kid to fall to the ground. Issei jumped up, and moved to kick _him_ in the face. Unfortunately for Issei, justice doesn't always win. Issei had landed a lucky move, sure, but just the one.

Because, as luck would have it, Matsuda was a martial artist, and he was pissed. Matsuda grabbed Issei's foot as he tried to kick, and spun underneath him in a leg sweep, knocking Issei to the ground and disorienting him. Matsuda used this time to stand up, crack his knuckles, and land a solid punch to Issei's face, knocking out a tooth. Issei crawled on the ground, trying in vain to get away. Matsuda, who was absolutely enraged, followed close behind him, laughing.

"You're pathetic, Hyoudou! You thought you'd get on over on me, huh? I can take on anyone in this school. You're nothing compared to me." He gloated, standing over Issei as he crawled on all fours. He kicked Issei mercilessly, in the ribs, in the chest, and the groin, wherever he could get his foot, he kicked Issei. After a solid minute of torture, he leaned in close to Issei, who flinched at the proximity, and spit in Issei's face.

Issei was defeated, mentally and physically. He dropped to the ground, giving up. None of the kids there knew it, but Issei was done. He'd completely quit.

He had every intention to go home…

...and end his own life.

Anything. Anything would be better than this. Even an eternity in Hell, Issei thought, would be better than his current life.

He would kill himself, and make the problems go away. But then, his saving grace appeared. And she was _not happy._

There was a spectator to the violence in the schoolyard, one who didn't even attend the school there. She'd been passing the school when she saw an abnormal crowd and decided to investigate. Her name was Raynare, and she was _pissed._ All the kids that had formed a crowd around the two boys made way for her as she stormed up to Matsuda.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?!" Raynare yelled in his face. He snarled at her, angered at the intrusion.

"I'm a fucking _alpha,_ bitch. How about I make you roll over, too, eh?" He said, looking at her breasts. She'd had enough. Not only had she watched this boy ruthlessly bully his supposed classmate, whom she was _supposed_ to have a crush on, but he'd had the _audacity_ to imply he was above her? Absolutely not.

Raynare, in the guise of a normal human teenager from a different school, picked up Matsuda by his throat with one hand, shocking everyone present. His eyes went wide as he was literally hoisted into the air with extreme ease. "W-who are you? What are you? Please don't hurt me!" He said as he writhed and struggled in Raynare's grip. She sneered at him.

"Some alpha you are, to beat up the weak and then cower when someone stronger than you shows up. Pathetic." She threw him to the ground, hard.

Then, she walked over to Issei, who was still groaning on the ground. He was face down, not looking up, but he was conscious and aware. She rolled him over, and looked him in the eye. He looked like he'd lost all his will to survive. Issei was truly a husk of a person.

Raynare is not a sentimental person. She's only had a few attachments to people, and never for long. She'd never, ever, _ever_ , felt love or a broken heart. Not sadness or grief, not shame or anguish. But at that moment, when he looked up at her…

Her heart broke.

"Issei, get up. I'll walk you to the infirmary." His eyes focused on hers. He began to tear up again, but he struggled to his feet, with her help. He put his arm around her shoulders, supporting himself. She put her arm around his waist, and he leaned into her. They started to walk, but after a few steps, Raynare stopped.

She slowly turned toward the crowd of kids watching them, careful not to hurt Issei. "If _any_ of you _**ever**_ hurt my boyfriend ever again, there will be _hell to pay._ " She said, looking them all in the eyes. None of the kids there knew why, but they felt like she was dead serious. She'd have no problems, not from them. Matsuda, however, who was writhing on the ground, was a different story.

He'd sworn vengeance.

Issei and Raynare walked to the infirmary, slowly, and carefully. Issei almost assuredly had broken ribs, and Raynare wanted to be careful not to cause him any extra pain. He'd suffered enough today, she decided.

Once they got to the infirmary, the nurse looked him over, and called an ambulance. It wasn't super urgent, but she wanted to move him without fear of damaging him any further, so a regular car wouldn't work. So, Issei lay in a stretcher on the ambulance, and Raynare sat beside him, holding his hand. He looked up at her with hope in his eyes.

"You...are you really this nice?" He said. He didn't know her name, so he just said 'you.' She looked puzzled. "I-I just mean...well...I've, um...never known anyone who was n-nice to me…not for a long time..." He stuttered out. Raynare's heart tore in two. This boy was truly wounded, deeper than she ever could've guessed.

"Don't worry about that right now, Issei. Just know, I'm here for you. I really do want to be your girlfriend, you know…" she said, trailing off at the end.

' _What am I doing?!'_ She asked herself. ' _I'm supposed to kill him, not comfort him! What's happening to me? Why do I feel this way?!'_ Raynare was truly confused. Her mission was simple as simple gets, but it was by far her hardest yet. She was just inexplicably drawn to this boy, this poor, poor, boy. He was just so...broken. It was almost like she wanted to try and fix him, but that couldn't be possible. She was a Fallen Angel, and he was just a lowly human, an insect to her kind-

Issei's hand tightened around hers, grabbing her attention instantly. "You never told me your name…" he croaked out. The pain medicine they gave him was obviously starting to work. She laughed, just a bit. He tilted his head in confusion.

"Yuuma," she said. "Yuuma Amano."

He nodded his head. He was beginning to fall asleep, she could tell; his head lolled and his eyes opened and closed slowly. "That's pretty...really, pretty...Evening Glow, huh? I love it…" He said, and his head fell back. He spoke no more. Raynare smiled, despite herself.

She was falling for him.

 **I literally couldn't sleep until I wrote this. I got the idea and I was like "omg this needs to be written now." No, but in this story, it's going to be strictly Raynare and Issei falling in love. There will be ups, there will be downs, there will be cliffhangers, and there will be** ** _a whole lot of fluff._** **Stay tuned, if you dare.**

 **P.S. The chapter length is also going to be a lot shorter than what I normally do, because I'm still working on "Just a guy with horns". Go read that. K, bye!**


	2. Lean on me

**Okay, okay. I** ** _never_** **expected this to be as popular as it is, but I'm happy. Truth be told, I wasn't even going to post this, I was just going to leave the first chapter sitting in my Google Docs. I'm glad I did. Anyway, this chapter made me want to tear my hair out from stressing over it. I had one of my best friends read the first chapter, and he said it was amazing, but then he said, and I quote, "You're going to fuck it up." So, I wrote this** ** _extremely carefully_** **trying not to do exactly that. Read and Review.**

When Issei woke up, he felt groggy, like he'd been asleep far too long. His _everything_ hurt, like he'd been in a car crash or something, but he couldn't remember where he'd gotten so hurt. Wait, no, it was coming back to him. He'd been beaten up, mercilessly. time was worse than ever. Far worse, apparently. He was in a hospital. As he sat up and looked around, he saw that he was alone in the room.

He briefly wondered who brought him here. His parents? Chances are, they wouldn't come. He wasn't the precious _daughter_ they'd always wanted, and they couldn't care less what actually happened to him. If anything, they'd probably be pissed that they had to pay his hospital bill. No, even if his parents knew he was hurt, they wouldn't take the time to come here. So who was here with him? A teacher? No, not likely. A fellow student? Issei seriously doubted it. Then, it hit him. He felt stupid for forgetting. He'd been in an ambulance. The ambulance had brought him here.

Wait. There had been someone else. Someone who rode with him in the ambulance. He remembered the warmth of a hand. Who was it? He flexed his hands, remembering the feel of her hand in his. Her? It was a her, he knew that much. But he couldn't remember her name, not at all. It danced at the edge of his memories, right on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to remember, wanted to remember her name, but he couldn't. Tears threatened his eyes. Had it all been a dream? Surely not...surely no God would be that cruel. To dream of someone so...nice, and then have it all come crashing down around him?

His head fell back against the hard hospital bed with a thump. He hoped with everything in his soul that she was real. It couldn't have all been a dream, could it? Not her riding in the ambulance, not her holding his hand, not her saving him...it had to be real. Yes! It was real! He remembered, she asked him out, just yesterday! He sighed in relief. But, if she rode here, where was she now? How long had he been asleep? He looked around. It was dark outside, and the only light in his room came from lights on machines and medical instruments. No one would be here at this hour, other than doctors and nurses. If the girl had been with him, she'd probably left hours ago.

Issei examined himself, checking his injures. Running and hand over his chest, the immediate and excruciating pain indicated that not only were his ribs hurt, they were probably broken. His legs were sore and his head pounded. He had bandages on his arms and chest, and there was an IV next to the bed, but not currently in him. He chuckled once, a dry, sad, laugh. What was the point? Why had he been hurt like this? Over a few hundred yen of _lunch money_? Pathetic. How could someone care so little for a fellow human that they'd put him in the hospital over some spare change?

The door to the room opened, and an elderly female doctor stepped in.

"Ah, you're awake! Good! That was some potent stuff they gave you, I wasn't sure how long you'd be out. My name is Doctor Lisa Lisa, yes, before you ask, that's first name Lisa, last name Lisa. I fixed up your ribs for you. Nasty bit of business." Issei was completely blown away by the insane speed of the doctor's speech. She wasn't a native Japanese citizen, he could tell. She spoke good Japanese, but at such a high speed that he could barely understand.

"Uh, yeah, sorry...I'm not exactly sure what's happened...also, who's paying for this?" Issei asked, hesitant. The doctor, Lisa, put her finger up in the air, like she just thought of something brilliant.

"Ah, yes! That was the beautiful young girl that came with you! She paid for all of your treatment, and all of the things you'll need. She also told the police what happened, and called your parents to let them know too. What a nice girl, hm? You're lucky, young man. Ah, to be young and in love…" The doctor trailed off with a weird look on her face, like she was fantasizing something.

"I-i-in l-love? H-hardly, I barely know her…you're right about her being nice, though." Issei mumbled. How in the world had she paid for all this? She must be rich. The doctor looked confused.

"Barely know her? That can't be right, she said you were her boyfriend!" She exclaimed. Issei blushed and looked down. He sighed.

"I suppose I do owe her that much, don't I…?" He murmured.

"Owe her?" The doctor snapped her fingers. "Ah! I think I see what's going on now. Ok, Issei. Listen up." The doctor crouched down by Issei's bed, looking him in the eyes. "If this girl likes you, she doesn't want you to be her boyfriend because 'you owe it to her'. If she really does like you, she wants you to love her for being kind and generous. And cute. Can't forget cute. Don't you dare get her hopes up because you 'owe her,' okay? Okay."

The doctor stood back up, leaving Issei to think about her words.

"Okay, I've got to go get someone. Don't go anywhere. I know, you're probably thinking 'I'm on a hospital bed, where am I going to go?' But we get a bunch of people who try to run off with IV's and such still in their arms. Like this one black-haired boy, ugh. Such a handful. Be right back!" The doctor left the room and closed the door behind her.

Did the girl truly like him? Why? What was special about him, that no one else had? He wasn't particularly good looking, he wasn't smart or athletic, no special talents except one that she couldn't possibly know about. So why, then? Surely she wants something. But what? Issei couldn't figure it out. Before he had time to think about it more, the door burst open again. Doctor Lisa came in, with a suspicious smile on her face, like she knew something Issei didn't it. "Oh Issei~ there's someone here to see you~" she stepped out of the doorway, and behind her...

The girl. Issei's eyes widened. A weight lifted off his heart and mind. Despite knowing the contrary, he had still been worried that she was something his mind had made up, a figment of his imagination. She smiled at him, then practically sprinted over to his side.

"Issei, I'm so glad you're alright. You were really banged up." She said, grabbing his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

"Thank you." Issei said. She looked at him funny. The doctor left the room, winking at Issei on her way out.

"Thank you for what?" His hand squeezed hers, like he was trying to keep her from running away.

"For saving me, and for helping me, and for paying for me, and for not being mad at me…" He said, looking down. He didn't stutter, not once.

As he went on, Raynare started to blush. _What the hell? Why am I blushing, he didn't even say anything bad! What's happening to me, damn it!?_

"Why would I be mad at you, Issei?" Issei gulped, then continued talking. Truth be told, he was awful at talking to girls, and he had to think carefully about what he wanted to say.

"Because...because I turned you down, the other day...I-I'm r-r-really s-sorry...I was j-just...just..." Issei started stuttering, and trailed off. Raynare tilted her head in confusion. _He's so cute!_ She was practically squealing in her head. Here he was in a hospital bed, hurt extremely bad, but he was apologizing to her!

"Just what, Issei?" He looked away from her and blushed, like he was embarrassed to say what he was thinking, which he was. She rubbed circles on the back of his hand, enjoying the feel of his hand in hers. "Issei, even if you don't like me, I'm going to be there for you, so you might as well tell me what you're thinking. I mean it, you can tell me anything." His face burned at her words, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't embarrassed either.

"I was just...scared." He said, almost too low for her to hear.

Raynare couldn't contain herself. She was grinning so hard her face hurt, and her heart was pounding like crazy. She felt giddy. _He's so adorable I can hardly stand it! You know what? I'm just gonna go with it. I'll figure out the consequences later._ She sat down next to him on the bed and hugged him softly, careful not to aggravate his wounds. He blushed even harder than he had before as the girl's head snuggled into his chest like it belonged there.

"H-hey, w-w-what are y-you doing?" He asked, clearly astonished at the sudden contact. He'd already been frightened by her holding his hand, but to be hugged, he was scared beyond belief. In reality, he'd only been hugged a handful of times, and only as a child. He had no idea how to handle himself, so he just put his arms around her.

"U-um, hey, this is going to sound really bad, b-but I can't remember your name…" He sputtered, looking ashamed.

She looked up at him. She was still smiling, which confused Issei. How do you smile at someone who just said they don't know who you are?

"It's Yuuma, silly. Yuuma Amano. Honestly, you even said you liked it." She said, faking a pout. It all came rushing back. He did say that, didn't he?

"O-oh yeah, I remember now. Sorry about that."

"Stop saying sorry. It's all fine." She said, poking him in the chest.

"S-sorry. Uh, I m-mean, not sorry? No, wait...ugh." He hung his head, embarrassed.

Raynare started giggling. Her small giggles soon turned into full blown laughter. Issei looked flustered, but soon enough he started laughing too. The door to the room slowly opened, and Lisa Lisa stepped back into the room. Raynare stopped hugging Issei but didn't let go of his hand or get off the bed. Instead, she sat beside him, waiting.

"Sorry to interrupt you too lovebirds, but I felt like we should probably discuss treatment and such." She pulled up a rolling chair and sat at the foot of Issei's bed, looking at a clipboard.

"Mmhmm. Yep, yep. Mm! Yes yes, that's that...okay! Issei, I hereby sentence you to one week of doing nothing! Your ribs were only fractured a bit, with only minor injuries otherwise, so you won't be bedridden, but you definitely can't go to school. Your...friend can bring you your work, so I don't expect you to slack! I'll get you some pills for the pain, and that's basically it. As long as you don't get hurt anymore, you'll be a-ok." Issei sighed in relief. He thought about it for second, and his face fell again.

"So...I'll have to go back to my house, huh? I guess it was inevitable…" he said quietly, looking sad again.

Raynare looked at him, puzzled. Did he not like his home? _I wonder...could it be he has abusive parents? That would explain a lot, actually. Maybe I'll pay them a visit._

"You're free to go, whenever you're ready. If you don't have a ride, I'll drive you to your house whenever you're ready." Issei looked at Raynare.

"Where will you go?" He asked her. He was honestly worried that she wouldn't come with him. She looked back at him and smiled.

"I don't know yet. I don't need to go home, so I'm not sure." She was hinting at something, and Issei thought he knew what, so he asked.

"Would you...will you, uh...can you come w-with me?" He asked, looking her in the eyes.

She giggled again. "Of course, silly. I thought you'd never ask. I'd _love_ to meet your parents." Issei turned pale, like he was afraid.

"My parents...aren't the best." He said, looking away.

 _They do, don't they? They abuse him. Who could ever hurt such a sweet boy?_ Raynare thought to herself. Issei looked up at the doctor, who was back to scribbling something on the clipboard.

"I think I'm good to go, Lisa-san." She looked up from her drawing.

"Excellent! I'll go bring my car around to the front entrance. Yuuma, dear, could you help him get there?" "Of course." "Great! See you in a bit!" She dashed out of the room.

"You know, for an older woman, she really moves quick." Raynare said, watching her go.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. I guess I should get out of this bed." Issei sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, groaning as he did. Raynare was quick to put an arm around him, and help him out of the bed. He stood, on shaking legs, and supported himself with an arm on the bed.

"You know what the best part about all of this is?" He said to Raynare with a solemn look on his face. "What?" She asked him, curious. He smirked. "That jerk never did get my lunch money."

Raynare smiled, slowly at first, then not even a few seconds later, she was laughing her heart out. Issei was smiling too, happy he made her happy. As skittish and nervous as he was, he did have a sense of humor. His humor was rather dark, sure, but it definitely aligned well with Raynare's dark persona as a Fallen Angel. He didn't know that, of course, but it's true nonetheless. When she finally stopped laughing, she had tears at the edge of her eyes.

"Issei, let's get you out of here. Lean on me." She said, putting his arm around her, and moving to support his weight.

"Thanks, Yuuma. For everything." He said, not stuttering even once.

"Of course, Issei. Now let's go, we don't want to keep her waiting."

Together, they walked out of the hospital and onto the street in front, where Lisa Lisa was waiting with an SUV.

Raynare didn't say anything about it, but on their way out, she took a peek at Lisa's clipboard. Hastily drawn on the first page, was a sketch of Issei and Raynare with a heart around them.

It made Raynare happy.

 **I doubt this chapter will be as good as the first one, but I have some** ** _amazing_** **stuff planned, so I hope you stay tuned!**

 **PS. I couldn't come up with a good name for the doctor, so I totally just used Lisa Lisa's name from JJBA. Note: Her appearance and personality are** **completely** **different, only the name is the same.**

 **That's all from me, please leave a review or shoot me a PM if you liked it!**


	3. Advice from a doctor

**First off, I'd like to thank everyone who left a review. You guys have no idea how awesome it is opening my email and seeing all of your positive thoughts and reactions about my story. It's truly awesome. Secondly, I figured I'd answer a few questions I've been getting.**

 **Q: "Is it going to be a Harem story or just a single pairing?" A: Sorry, harem lovers, this is strictly Issei x Raynare. The Issei of this story wouldn't be able to handle more than one girl, and he can** ** _barely_** **handle one.**

 **Q: "Why didn't Sona or Akeno say anything about the bullying?" A: Who said Issei went to Kuoh?**

 **Q: "Will there be fights in this story, or is it a slice of life?" A: There will definitely be fights later in the story, I think. Maybe. Count on some fighting. If I really get into a flow with a slice of life, I might make all the fighting happen off-screen kinda, or something like that, but for now, there will be fighting.**

 **Q: "Isn't Raynare in love with Azazel?" A: Not in this timeline, son.**

 **Q: "Why isn't Just a guy with horns as popular as His Angel?" A: I wish I knew.**

 **Yeah, if anything else comes to mind, feel free to PM me or leave a review. Without further adieu, read on!**

Lisa Lisa drove with no music on, leaving the spacious car plenty quiet enough for conversation. Issei and Raynare sat close to each other, or rather, Issei tried to sit to one side in the backseat and Raynare moved as close as she could to him. He fought it at first, but relented soon after. The elderly doctor had a knowing smile on her face as she drove out of the parking lot. Issei wondered how she knew where to go, but figured it had something to do with his address probably being easily accessible to a doctor. The drive itself was only about 15 minutes, as the town they were in, Kuoh, was relatively small.

They drove the first few minutes in silence, and Lisa Lisa had finally had enough. She spoke up.

"So, how did you kids meet? And don't you dare tell me it was something cliche, like 'we ran into each other on the sidewalk,' either!" She said, chuckling. Issei looked sheepish. Raynare was the next to speak.

"I asked Issei out, and he rejected me." She said, without even a second of hesitation. The car swerved slightly, and went back on track. "Issei-kun, could it be that I misheard her? There's no way you rejected someone as amazing as Yuuma-chan, right? Tell me I misheard her." Issei looked to the mirror and saw Lisa glaring at him.

"I, uh...ugh. No, she's right. I thought it was a prank, so I...I turned her down." He said, looking out the window. Lisa Lisa grunted in disapproval, like she didn't believe he could do something so stupid. She sighed.

"Well, do you still think it was a prank? Answer wisely." Lisa said, narrowing her eyes. Raynare also looked to him expectantly. He blushed, and didn't look directly at either of them.

"I...I guess not…" He murmured. Lisa started to laugh.

"You guess not, you guess not! Watch it, Yuuma-chan, he's a sharp one! Bahahaha! You're going to have a grand time trying to get anywhere with this one!" Lisa cackled at his response. Raynare had a smile on her face.

Raynare went to hold Issei's hand again. He stiffened momentarily, then calmed down and let her take his hand in hers. Lisa grinned again.

"Well, I suppose there's hope for you yet. So, have you figured out where you're staying while you recover?" She asked Issei. He looked confused.

"What do you mean? I'm staying at my house, I think…?" He asked, not really getting what she meant.

"Oh, my mistake. Looks like you haven't figured it out yet. I won't ruin your plan, Yuuma-chan. Though, he's so dense you might have a hard time getting him to go along with it!" She cackled again, and Raynare looked down in embarrassment. Issei looked between the two of them rapidly, trying to figure out what was going on. What in the world were they talking about? Wasn't he staying with his parents?

"I don't really understand what you're talking about…" He said, still trying to figure out Raynare's plan, which was to have Issei stay with her so she could personally nurse him back to health. Lisa, with her years of experience, had guessed it within minutes, but it would take Issei a while. In fact, he'd probably be wherever Raynare wanted him before he realized she'd been planning it.

"Ho ho, don't worry about. Just the ramblings of an old woman, darling. Now, which one is your house?"

Issei looked out the window, and sure enough, they were on his street. Raynare followed his gaze, and Lisa slowed down so she wouldn't pass the house up.

"The brown one with two stories, right there." He pointed out what was obviously the nicest house on the street.

"Whoa, fancy. I didn't know you lived somewhere this nice, Issei. I'm happy you invited me over." He sighed at Raynare's comment.

"It isn't as great as it looks." He said, downcast. Inwardly, Raynare was seething. His parents had to be some pieces of work if they made living in a place like this seem so awful.

Lisa pulled the car into Issei's driveway and parked. She turned off the car, and waited for Issei and Raynare to collect themselves.

"Issei, dear, could you stay in here a second? I want to speak with you privately. No offense, Yuuma-chan. Just gotta give him a little talking-to." Lisa said, chuckling at the last bit. Raynare looked a bit taken aback, but complied.

"I'll be waiting right outside the car, Issei. Yell if she tries any funny business." Raynare let go of Issei's hand and stepped out of the car, leaving him with the doctor.

"So what did you want to talk about, Lisa-san?" The doctor sighed. "Issei, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay? No talking, just listen." Issei was kind of weirded out by how fast the doctor's attitude had changed from carefree to deadly serious, but he nodded in the affirmative. She sighed again and starting talking.

"I've seen the symptoms of depression before, Issei." She said solemnly. Issei's eyes widened in shock. How could she have known he was depressed? His parents didn't even know! He didn't say anything, though, per her request. She kept going.

"Issei, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. You're not going to understand a lot of what happens to you or why it happens, but you've just gotta keep trucking. The universe sometimes does things that don't make sense, and we've just gotta keep going and going and do the best we can, whenever we can. That's just how life is. No one knows what tomorrow holds, so make the best of today while you still can, otherwise you'll end up old like me and you won't even have realized it." She chuckled.

"I do know one thing, though." She turned around to face him. "That girl outside this car is your chance. She's your one hope for some happiness at the moment. So don't do anything to mess things up with her!" She said, poking him in the chest.

Issei looked like a deer in headlights. He tried to form words in his mouth, but he couldn't think of anything except for one glaring question. "H-how w-w-will I k-know what to d-do?" He sputtered out. She had a sad smile on her face.

"You won't, Issei. That's what makes living life so much fun. I'll give you some advice I wish someone would've given me when I was your age. Listen up, I'll only say it once!" She said, snapping her fingers in his face to make sure he was listening. He laughed, despite the situation.

"Here's the thing. We're all gonna die, eventually." Issei's face fell. Was that supposed to make him feel better? "But, knowing that, would you rather waste your entire life being sad and second guessing every word that comes out of your mouth, or would you rather live every second of every day doing everything you can to make each and every one of your wildest dreams come true? I think I know what I'd say. Now, that girl out there is one of those dreams. Go take it!" She said, and lightly slapped him on the chest. She turned back into her own seat.

"Right, now go tell her to trade places with you. I'm gonna give her a different talk. Maybe something about making babies~?" Lisa Lisa said, making Issei blush. He rushed to open the car door, and Raynare helped him out.

A few seconds later, Issei was outside leaning on the car while Raynare and Lisa Lisa sat inside. Lisa turned to look at Raynare with a stern glare.

"Yuuma. That boy out there is hurting, bad. He's obviously depressed, which I'm sure you noticed. His parents are abusive too, if what I'm guessing is correct. At the very least, they're negligent. He's broken, right now. But _you_ ," she pointed a bony finger at Raynare, "can fix him. What he needs right now more than anything, is to be loved and cared for. To that boy, even if he doesn't know it yet, you are his saving grace, his shining light. If I had to guess, before you showed up, he'd been entertaining the idea of suicide."

Raynare gasped. "I knew he was sad, but suicide?" She said softly.

Lisa Lisa nodded gravely. "I've seen it all before. They get it in their heads that nothing is worth living for, that even hell would be better than their current situation. Then, they take it into their own hands, and make the choice." She said, shaking her head in sadness. Lisa Lisa then raised her head, and Raynare could see the fire in her eyes.

"You can't let that happen! You are in the perfect position to save that boy, and I think you know that." Raynare nodded softly, and Lisa Lisa continued.

"So, what I need from you, is this: love that boy. I don't mean physically, sex is hardly what he needs right now, I mean emotionally. Love him from when he gets up in the morning to when he goes to bed at night. If he needs a shoulder to cry on, give him yours. If he needs a pat on the back, you'd better hop to it. If he ever starts to think dying is better than living, then show him it's not! I think you'll find that he'll do more than return the favor." She paused for a second and leaned in close to Raynare.

"One might say you'll be his...guardian _angel_." Lisa Lisa said with a grin. Raynare's eyes went wide with shock, but before she could react, she was forcefully ejected from the car by an unknown force. She stumbled out onto the driveway, and Issei moved to catch her.

Lisa Lisa's car sped off, and she waved goodbye to the two teens. Who'd have thought that two totally different kinds of person would be so fundamentally perfect for each other? It made Lisa's old heart weep with joy. She chuckled to herself softly. "It's gonna be rough for those too, but they'll pull through…"

Issei caught Raynare right before she fell onto the concrete. He caught her in such a way that it would've looked to the outside observer that they had just decided to start dancing the Tango on the middle of the driveway at night time. Both of the teens blushed, and Issei helped her back up. He was feeling much less pain than he had been earlier, and he could walk on his own, but he still leaned on Raynare. She didn't mind. They walked up to the entrance of the house, but the lights were off. The door was unlocked, however, so Issei just opened it and let them in. No one was awake, or so it seemed from the emptiness of the room they entered, the living room.

Issei wasn't surprised, though. His parents were normally in bed at about 9 or 10, and while he wasn't sure what time it was, he knew it was probably well past that. He turned to Raynare, who followed close behind him.

"I've, uh, we've got t-two guest rooms, you can p-pick one, if you'd like…" He said.

"Or…?" She replied. Raynare tilted her head, and gestured for him to keep speaking.

He was confused, but he kept going. "O-or, I guess you could stay in m-m-my r-room…" He managed to say, stuttering slightly and blushing furiously. She blushed too. Even though that was what she wanted him to say, it was slightly embarrassing nonetheless. On the bright side, it was dark enough in the house that he couldn't see her blushing.

"I'd love to, Issei. Lead the way." Raynare said, not looking him in the eyes. Issei gulped, but he lead the way to his room. He opened the door, and let Raynare in. She looked around.

Everything was neat and orderly, like he had way too much time on his hands and enjoyed cleaning. There was a king size bed at the center of the room, and a large couch at the foot of it. The bed had nightstands on both sides, and there were two bookshelves in the room, on opposite ends of one another, so you'd have to walk around the bed and to the other side of the room to go to the other shelf. Behind the bed, there was a large window, and the full moon streamed in from the glass, highlighting the white walls and giving the whole room a white glow. There were three doors in Issei's room. The one they came in, and two more. Raynare guessed they were probably a bathroom and closet.

"I-I, um, I'll sleep on the uh, couch, so make yourself at home…" He said quietly. Raynare inwardly squealed. _He's so f***ing cute! How naive and innocent and adorable this boy is!_ It made her want to just pick him up in her arms and twirl him around and never let go. He excused himself to the bathroom to get changed into his pajamas and out of his hospital smock. So, Raynare planned a little surprise for him.

Issei stepped into the bathroom, and immediately almost fell over. He propped himself up on the sink, and he started to breath heavily. _There's a girl in my room. There's a gorgeous beautiful awesome amazing girl in my room._ He was acting like he normally did on the outside, but truth be told, being near a girl for so long was weighing on him, mentally. He knew that no matter what, he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He had never been near a girl he trusted, not for years, since when his grandmother died. This was tearing away at his mental state, and his brain kept barking at him to stop getting close to her, to stop letting himself trust her before it was too late. Nothing good came out of trusting anyone, ever. He couldn't let himself form an attachment.

"No, no, no. This is wrong! She saved me from Matsuda and paid for my hospital visit. She's helped me and comforted me for this long, I at least owe her some trust..." Issei whispered to himself, in the bathroom _._ Lisa Lisa's voice echoed in his mind. " _Don't you dare get her hopes up because you 'owe her,' okay?"_

Issei forced himself to calm down. He stopped breathing so hard, and his pulse went down, slowly. He started whispering to himself again. "No. I'm going to trust her. I'm going to let myself get close with her. And, if she turns out to be like all the rest...I'll just kill myself and be done with it, simple as that. Not like anyone would miss me, anyway..." Issei looked at himself in the mirror, and he wasn't shocked to see tears in his eyes. He started changing into his pj's, and said no more.

Raynare slid down the other side of the bathroom door, shocked. The doctor had been right. Issei was ready to end it all if she screwed it up. Issei thought he'd been talking to himself, but in reality Raynare could hear him clear as ever, due to her enhanced senses as a Fallen Angel. Raynare touched her face, and was surprised to feel hot tears falling down from her eyes. Could he really be so sad that he'd want to throw his life away? It made Raynare sick to think of someone as sweet and kind as him killing himself because the world did him wrong. She made up her mind. _I'll protect him, I swear it. I swear on my life that this boy will never be sad again._ She was resolute. Nothing would harm him again, not if she could help it.

She'd be his guardian angel, indeed.

A few moments later, when Issei stepped out of the bathroom in black flannel pajamas, he was shocked to see Raynare, who was in nothing but a black silken nightgown.

"Y-Y-Y-Yuuma-san! W-w-what a-are y-you wearing?!" He whispered loudly at her. He blushed like mad and turned away as fast as he could. It made her smile, how innocent he was. So, she snuck up behind him while he turned away from her, and hugged him from behind. He could very clearly feel two reasons why they shouldn't be hugging like that, but he couldn't even form words in his mouth.

"What's wrong, Issei? You don't like it?" She asked him, still hanging on his back.

"N-no! It's not that I don't l-l-l-like it, you're beautiful, I just...I, um...I can feel them…" he managed to spit out.

Raynare blushed. Raynare blushed harder than she ever had in her life. Her face turned scarlet red, and she was pretty sure he could see it even with how dark it was, so she buried her face in his back.

"You...you really think I'm beautiful, Issei?" She asked, softly. He stiffened, and Lisa Lisa's advice from the car suddenly made sense to him.

"I-I do! You're gorgeous...I-I mean, not in a weird way, I just...um...I...ugh. Yes, I think you're really p-pretty, Yuuma-san." His word made her face _burn._ If she was blushing before, she her face was on fire, now. She let go of him, much to his relief, and turned away so he wouldn't see her face.

"G-good! I'm really glad you think so, Issei. Also, you already called me Yuuma in the hospital, so don't you dare start calling me 'Yuuma-san' now!" He sighed.

"Of course, Yuuma." Issei climbed on the couch. Raynare stopped before climbing on the bed. She decided to tease him some more.

"How are we going to sleep together on a couch? Wouldn't it be easier on the bed?" Issei face went beet-red at her words.

"S-s-s-s-sleep together?! We met a day ago, we can't s-sleep together…" he said, shocked that she'd even say something like that. She sighed, and smiled.

"I guess you're right. Goodnight then, Issei." She laid down on his bed, her head facing where he was on the couch.

Unbeknownst to her, Issei was having a mental battle with himself. It was his timidity versus his very-rarely used bolder side, which had been enriched by Lisa Lisa's words. The bolder side won, and his hand snaked up to the bed from his spot on the couch. He intertwined his fingers with hers, shocking the fallen angel. She didn't resist, of course, and she gladly held his hand. They were both asleep in minutes.


	4. Guardian Angel

**Yeah, I had something I was going to put for an Author's Note, but I forgot what it was, so whatever. Read and Review. I have a feeling you readers will like this chapter, a lot. For one thing, it's double the normal length. For another...well, read on.**

When Issei opened his eyes, all he saw was a wall of fire. A red and orange blaze, as far as the eye could see. Amidst the inferno, a large shape moved towards him, coming closer and closer. When it got far closer than Issei was comfortable with, the shape stopped. It twisted it's form up, and what looked like a mouth opened, then all Issei heard was a deafening roar.

The top of the fire was blasted away by the sheer force of the roar, and Issei could see the head of the shape clearly. It was a large, red, western, Dragon. Not like a dragon from a kid's show, with cute eyes and a small visage. This dragon was huge, and looked ready to kill at a moment's notice.

Issei was terrified. He'd never seen something so frightening in his entire life. He moved to cover his face with his hands, only to realize he couldn't move them. His hands were firmly at his sides, and refused to move. The rest of his body wouldn't budge either. All he could do was close his eyes and scream.

To his surprise, he wasn't immediately eaten. Upon opening his eyes again, several minutes later, he saw the dragon...laughing. The huge dragon was laughing his heart out, a thunderous, and awe-inspiring sound. Issei was very confused, and still extremely scared. He had _no idea_ how to handle the situation. He didn't have to flounder for long. The dragon spoke up.

" **Hello, Partner. Glad to see you've got such lively lungs. Where are your manners? Introduce yourself to your elder!"** The dragon boomed, hurting Issei's ears. The voice was so loud, Issei thought he'd have permanent hearing damage, but he answered, in his normally timid way.

"I-I-I'm Issei, H-Hyoudou, your m-majesty!" He stuttered. The dragon was silent for a few seconds, as if measuring his response, and, then...he started laughing again, even harder than the first time. Issei was starting to get annoyed, really. Here he was, scared out of his mind, and this dragon was having the time of his life.

" **Your majesty?! Wow, I have been called that since I still had a body! What a riot! Bwahaha! You're going to be fun, Issei Hyoudou, I can already tell! But…!"** The dragon moved uncomfortably close to Issei, putting his massive maw right in front of Issei's face. " **You're going to have to work on that timidity of yours. You have the power and soul of a dragon, act like it!"** The dragon shouted, far louder than he had earlier. He sounded almost angry.

" **Tell me, Issei! Don't you want to be powerful?"** The dragon asked, almost in a nurturing tone. He awaited Issei's response.

Issei nodded mutely. If he was powerful, no one could bully him ever again. No one would hurt him just for the pleasure of it. Not only that, but if he was powerful, he could protect the weak, like he wished so many times someone would for him. So, yes, he wanted power. He wanted it _bad._

" **Then take it."** The dragon said to Issei, quietly. The dragon stuck a huge clawed hand out of the fire, extending it towards Issei. Inside his palm, was a growing crimson and green gauntlet. Issei thought it looked incredibly familiar, like an old friend. He rushed to take it, only for his body to refuse him yet again.

 _No, that's not right, my head was just moving! I just nodded! Why can't my body move?_ He thought. He was being denied his chance for power, for a better life. He wanted more than anything to rush forward and _take_ the power, just like Lisa Lisa had told him. He wanted it. He wanted it more than anything. But his body _wouldn't move_.

" **Hm. Disappointing. I thought you of all people would want the power to change the world. Very well, no power for you. We'll try again some other time."** The dragon closed his claws around the gauntlet, and moved it back inside the fire.

Issei was heartbroken. He'd had a chance to finally, _finally,_ change his life for the better, and he couldn't even do it. He couldn't even move a muscle. Issei wanted to cry. Instead, he screamed. He kept screaming "No!" over and over again, till long after the dragon had left, receded back into the fire. Soon, the dragon grew tired of it, and stuck one clawed hand out of the fire. Issei watched his the hand grew closer and closer, and impaled him through the chest.

* * *

Issei opened his eyes, and his vision swam. Fire lingered at the edges of his view, but soon dissipated. He was in a cold sweat, and this throat felt raw. He realized he was staring into the face of a very concerned woman with raven hair and violent eyes, just like Yuuma. But...it wasn't Yuuma. She had a more mature look, and harder features. Issei thought she was very attractive, as much as Yuuma even, but he was too confused to say anything about it.

"Issei, are you okay? You just kept screaming and thrashing and I couldn't get you to calm down, no matter what…" The woman said, with a tear in her eye. She sounded like Yuuma, too.

 _She sounds just like Yuuma...who in the world is this, and why is she here?_ Issei was truly confused. There was a beautiful woman standing over him, with tears in her eyes, asking if he was okay. Hadn't he just been dreaming…? What was the dream about, again? Issei couldn't remember.

"Um...don't take this the wrong way, but...who are you?" Issei asked, hesitantly. The woman looked confused by his words at first, but then began to panic. Issei grew more confused by the second. The woman ran her hands all over her face, and began to freak out.

' _No! No! This can't be happening!'_ Raynare was thinking. She had let herself morph back into her true appearance during the night! ' _Stupid, stupid! Now he'll hate me!'_ She was thinking about all the ways this could turn out bad. He'd think she was ugly, or he'd figure out she'd been keeping secrets, or...God forbid, he'd stop trusting her and kill himself…Raynare was so worried she felt sick.

"Yuuma? Is that you? I didn't realize that was how you looked without makeup. It really suits you, you look fantastic. I'd stop wearing makeup altogether if I were you." Issei murmured. He was still half asleep, so he probably didn't think about what he was saying. Raynare was so relieved she could cry.

Of course, _of course_ Issei hadn't called her out on her suddenly changed appearance. Why would he? He was far too nice. He even thought she looked amazing. Raynare's heart was aflutter. She wanted to hug Issei until she suffocated him. She started laughing, and fell on top of Issei. She hugged him violently, pressing her body into his. The boy was thrashing and half-yelling about how 'they couldn't be doing this' and 'he could feel them' and other junk, but Raynare didn't care.

"Yes, Issei. It's me. I thought you'd think I was ugly, and I got so worried…" She said quietly. The boy stopping flailing his arms, and calmed down. He forced himself to breath in and out, lowering his wild heart rate. Once again, Lisa Lisa's words echoed. " _Now, that girl out there is one of those dreams. Go take it!"_ Issei exhaled slowly, and replied to Raynare as calmly as he could.

"No, you're definitely not ugly. Far from it. At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I think you look better this way…" he murmured, blushing and scratching his cheek. Surprisingly, he didn't stutter or hesitate on even a single word. Raynare wanted to cry and laugh and sing and dance, all at the same time. She was absolutely giddy from his words. Not only did he think she looked great, she wouldn't have to hide her appearance any more! Double win! She buried her face in his chest and snuggled closely to him. He let her, despite his better judgement saying that this was a very indecent position for them to be in.

"Hey, I should tell my parents I'm here...and introduce you, I guess…" he said, hinting at her to get off of him. She hummed in agreement, but didn't move. "That means you've gotta get off of me…" he said quietly.

"Mmm...no. You're warm and I'm cozy. I say we stay just, like, this." Raynare said, not moving even an inch. Issei sighed, blushing. He was still in pajamas and Raynare was only in a thin nightgown. There was very little between the two of them, in other words.

While Issei did want to get up, he was, in fact, enjoying the contact. He hadn't had so much as a hug in years, and he was a bit touch-starved. So, Raynare laying literally facedown on top of him was a great feeling, but he knew it wasn't right. They hadn't even gone on a date, and here they were laying together on the same couch! Indecent at the very least.

"Issei, let's chat for awhile before we go talk to your parents. I want to know some more about you." Raynare said, drawing a circle on his chest with her finger. He was blushing even harder than before.

While what they were doing might not have been a big deal for Raynare, this was by far the closest Issei had ever been to a member of the opposite sex, and he was having trouble keeping his cool. What little cool he had, anyway. The whole 'half asleep' bit was starting to wear off and the reality of the situation was setting in. He was starting to freak out a little.

"W-what do you want to talk about?" He said. He wasn't adverse to conversation, and he enjoyed talking whenever someone would actually listen.

"What were you dreaming about? You wouldn't stop screaming. I honestly got really worried." She said, looking up at him. She wasn't asking just for the sake of conversation, either. She'd heard the longinus gear wielders normally have nightmares for quite some time before they finally awaken their sacred gears. She hoped that wasn't the case, because if Issei suddenly unlocked a longinus gear, it would mean death for both of them. Him, for being a threat to Kokabiel, and her, for not eliminating him when she had a chance.

"I...I don't remember. There was fire, but I can't remember anything else. Just fire." Issei replied, trying to remember the details of the dream and failing each time.

Well, that's a good sign. If all he saw was fire, it's probably not a longinus gear. If it was, then it's just something like Incinerate Anthem and Kokabiel wouldn't have to kill him for it.

"Weird. Okay, now you ask me a question. Anything you want." Raynare said. She was just glad he didn't dream of Dragons or Shadows or Holy Spears or anything like that. She didn't expect his next question at all.

"Why...why me?" He asked, looking her in the eye. She tilted her head in confusion, not really understanding his question. He went on. "Why did you ask out someone like me? A girl like you could've had any pick of guys, whoever you wanted. So, why me? What's so special about me?" Issei asked. Not only did he not stutter or hesitate, he sounded almost...angry.

Raynare was visibly taken aback by his question. She'd expected something like 'Why are you still on top of me?' or another pointless question like that, not something really meaningful. She didn't really have an answer, and she doubted he'd be on board with the whole 'I was ordered to kill you but I've fallen hopelessly in love with you' line. As true as it was, it definitely wasn't something he needed to hear.

Raynare didn't know what to say. So, she didn't say a thing.

She leaned closer to Issei...

...and kissed him.

Issei had no idea what was going on. He'd lost all of his higher brain functions the moment her lips met his. That definitely wasn't the answer he was after, but it fit his question just the same. He knew, in that moment, that she wasn't just doing this to embarrass him, or to belittle him, or to hurt him. She really did love him. And here he was, trying to force her to admit she didn't. What a jerk.

So, instead of pulling back, Issei took Lisa Lisa's advice on in full. He kissed Raynare back, which shocked the Angel arguably more than the initial kiss shocked Issei. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her as close as he could.

A knock at the door grabbed their attention. Raynare quickly leapt off of Issei, and he jumped off the couch. They both composed themselves as fast as possible before whoever was there opened the door. The door turned, and Issei's mother came through it.

Issei's mother was a short woman, about 5'7, with long brown hair tied in a tight bun so none fell onto her face. She wore a tight and well-kempt dress suit, black with a gray skirt, and there was a cross necklace on her chest. She had small black glasses on, and they were on the bridge of her nose rather than in front of her eyes. Issei's mom was the very dictionary definition of a strict looking woman. Raynare was immediately on guard, as she didn't look like someone who'd be too happy about her son bringing home a girl.

Issei immediately tensed up. Whatever this woman did to him, Raynare noticed, it left him on guard. As his mom opened the door and stepped into the room, she took in the situation. She wasn't pleased, and it showed. The look on her face was one of disgust.

She looked back and forth between her son and the strange woman, and made the sign of the cross. The action annoyed Raynare, but she noticed Issei was still on guard. Was she not going to hit him? Well, she probably wouldn't with Raynare here.

The woman walked to the pair, and stopped just in front of them. She looked Raynare up and down, the turned to Issei, completely disregarding her.

"Son, what is the meaning of this? You not only come home _late_ from the hospital after getting in a _fight,_ you bring home this...this whore? I'm disappointed. I'm sure the Lord is too." His mother said, not breaking her completely straight face. Issei looked down, ashamed. Raynare looked completely aghast.

She'd been wrong. Both her, and Doctor Lisa Lisa, had been wrong. Issei's parents weren't _abusive_ , they were just completely oppressive and rigid. No wonder Issei hated it here. The Mother was stern as hell, and if Raynare had to guess, the Father would be far worse.

His mother continued, leaving no room for a reply. "Your Father is downstairs, waiting for you. He's in his office, and I suggest you don't keep him waiting. But, I'd also suggest you make yourself...decent." With that, she shot Raynare one last dismissive look, and left. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Issei slumped down back onto the couch, and sat with his head in his hands. Raynare rubbed his back, comforting him.

"I knew they wouldn't be great, but wow. I'm a whore, huh? Ouch." Raynare said, thinking about the conversation. Issei didn't say anything. He just sat there, head in hands, thinking about how that went down. It actually went better than he expected it would, but to be personally reprimanded by his father had Issei terrified. He wouldn't be lenient.

"Hey, Issei...it's okay." Raynare said. She crouched down, and he looked at her. His face was lined with sweat, and his eyes were wide. She knew her sentence was half-assed, but she was new to comforting people,and frankly, she didn't know what to say.

"You don't understand." He said, scared. "If you thought my mom was bad, wait till you see my dad. He's...he's something else. Just...no matter what they say, let me do the talking. They won't listen to you, because you're a woman."

' _Wait, seriously? This family is that backwards? Wow.'_ Raynare thought. They wouldn't listen to her, just because she's a chick? Yikes. She'd heard of families with strong religious roots being oppressive before, but this was like, stereotype level.

"Okay, Issei. I trust you." She said. Then she grabbed her bag, that somehow Issei hadn't noticed her bring, and excused herself to the bathroom to change. Issei changed in his room, and knocked on the bathroom door to signal Raynare when he was decent. She walked out of the bathroom, and they were both stunned.

Issei was wearing a white, long-sleeve, button up shirt, with a black tie and black slacks. He was neatly shaven, and looked phenomenal.

' _Wow, he cleans up nice! He was handsome before, but now he's kinda hot…'_ Raynare thought, her Fallen nature getting the better of her. In Issei's mind, he looked terrible, and Raynare eyeing him meant that she didn't like it. He didn't say anything about it, though, because he was too busy staring at her.

Raynare was wearing a black dress/suit with a black blazer and black tie, as well as a black skirt and heels. She had on a white undershirt, as well. The clothes were normal enough, if a bit formal, but Issei was thunderstruck by her beauty.

"Y-Yuuma, you look…" Issei trailed off mid-sentence. Raynare swished her dress around, teasing him.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Issei. You look fancy, very nice." She said, looking him up and down with an approving gaze. It made Issei blush, like she was looking at a prime cut of meat. She was thinking about eating him, but not in the way he thought. They walked up to each other.

"T-thanks. Our formal is their casual, so this might not even cut it. Well, we should go, let's get this over with. Please, just don't do anything rash. This is gonna be bad, and I don't want to make it worse. Okay?" She nodded. She didn't want to make things worse for him, either.

They walked out of Issei's room, and down the stairs. Raynare hadn't noticed it before, since it was dark, but the house was gorgeous. It was also spotless, eerily so. There wasn't a single thing misplace, nor a single speck of dirt on their white carpets. It didn't look like a family lived there, at all. It looked like a CEO's office would. Raynare was starting to get a better picture of Issei's home life with every minute she spent here.

' _This must be awful. Such a strict household, I think I'd hate it here for sure. Hell, I already hate it here. I can only imagine how Issei feels.'_ Raynare thought to herself as they walked into the lower part of Issei's house.

As they entered the living room, they passed Issei's mother, who was reading the paper and drinking what Raynare could only assume was the blackest coffee ever poured. It stunk, and to Raynare's enhanced sense of smell, it was disgusting. She almost gagged. As they approached his mother, she gestured for them to go through a closed door to her side.

As Issei approached the door, Raynare looked back at his mother. She was glaring at Raynare, like she was a stain to be rid of. It made Raynare's skin crawl, but she dealt with it, for Issei. If she made a scene, it wouldn't end well for anyone.

Issei opened the door, and they both stepped into what she guessed was his father's office. The room was extremely tidy and well kempt, with not a single thing out on the lacquered wooden floor, save a desk, which Issei's father was sitting in. A grandfather clock ticked away in a corner, and books lined shelves on the walls.

Issei's father was obviously a stern man. His face was tight and unmoving, and his jaw was hard. He wore a brown suit, and had thick glasses on his face. He looked down at a laptop seated on his hardwood desk, and was typing something when the pair walked in. As they approached, Issei cleared his throat to catch his father's attention.

The man looked up, and displeasure briefly crossed his face. He was angry, though you probably couldn't tell from his face. Raynare stood still behind Issei, who was fidgeting and trembling. The boy was obviously terrified, but that didn't seem to phase his father.

"Issei Hyoudou. I have you have an adequate excuse for not only getting home late, but getting into a fight and bringing home some...harlot." The man said, briefly glancing at Raynare, who didn't react to the comment.

"I-I-I w-w-w-was-"

"I see you still have that pathetic stutter. Fine, don't talk, just listen." The father said, and leaned back in his chair. Issei hung his head in shame at not being able to formulate a sentence.

Raynare grew angrier by the second. They could treat her however, sure, but their own son?

"You got into a fight. You went to the hospital without out knowledge, then arrived home at an ungodly hour. Not only did you bring this woman into our home without my knowledge or permission, you _slept_ with her."

"N-no, we…!" Issei started to say something to deny his father's accusation, but he was interrupted.

"I don't want to hear it. We have tried, and tried, and tried to raise you right, but it seems like the devil is a bit too strong in you. You're too much for us to handle, and you're bringing disgrace on our family name."

Issei shook his head, but didn't say anything. Raynare was reaching her limit. She was _seething_ , and every word out of the father's mouth was like nails on a chalkboard to her. How dare he talk down to his own flesh and blood like that? Despicable.

"You recently turned 17. You're old enough to strike out on your own." Issei's father said. Issei's eyes went wide, and he started shaking his head rapidly.

"N-no…" he murmured. Issei's world was spinning. He felt sick to his stomach.

"Issei Hyoudou. You've been an embarrassment and a burden to this family since the day we adopted you." The father said, without remorse.

Raynare gaped. Of _course_ he was adopted. No wonder he's so alone, these aren't even his real parents! But then…what happened to them, and why was Issei stuck here?

"No, please...don't do this to me!" Issei said, raising his voice.

Raynare grew increasingly worried. She hadn't pieced together what the father was getting at, yet, but she knew it must be bad if Issei was actually yelling.

"Issei, I'm disowning you. You'll find 30 million yen in your bank account. That should be more than enough to buy your own house. Take what you need from your room and never come back here. That's all." His father looked back down at his computer, completely dismissing Issei.

The boy was shaking. Tears fell from his eyes. His hands clenched into fists, and he was struggling to stay on his feet. Raynare's fists were clenched too, but for entirely different reasons.

She was _pissed._ Raynare had been mad before. When she Fell, was one time. When she saved Issei from Matsuda, that was another. But now, she was seeing red and trying to resist impaling Issei's pathetic excuse for a stepfather right where he sat.

She wouldn't do anything so rash, but she _would_ speak her mind, Issei's request be damned.

"You're pathetic." Raynare said, walking up till she stood right in front of the man's desk. He looked up at her with a surprised look on his face, like he was flabbergasted that she could even talk.

"You have no to right to speak to me as such in my own house. You played a part in corrupting him, I'd wager, so don't try to speak to me like you're some kind of angel." The father looked back down, dismissing her entirely.

It only made her angrier. She raised her had to slap him. Sure, it wasn't the best course of action, but it would give them both some satisfaction, at least. She swung her hand at him. He looked up with an uncaring look on his face.

Issei caught Raynare's arm, preventing her from hitting his ex-stepfather. She turned back to look at him, and saw that his hair was covering his eyes, but the tears had stopping flowing down his face. Issei looked _mad,_ not scared. The man chuckled, surprising both of them.

"You need to put a tighter leash on your slut girlfriend, Issei. She shouldn't be raising her hand against a man." He said, sinking back in his chair. Raynare sneered, but didn't move closer. She didn't have to.

Issei lunged forward and punched the pathetic man in his face, sending him sprawling from his chair.

Raynare gasped. That wasn't _at all_ what she expected, but she was glad it happened. The man deserved that and more.

"Don't talk about her like that. I've only known her for a few days and she's already done more for me than you ever have." Issei growled. Raynare wasn't sure where this side of him had come from, but she definitely liked it. Standing up for her, _and_ himself, all in one move? Amazing. She was falling for him harder and harder, every time he opened his mouth.

Issei's father slowly picked himself up. His glasses were cracked in one lense, but he put them back on his face anyway. He laughed again.

"I'll give you that one, I suppose. You only proved my point. Now leave, before I call the police." He said, and made a gesture towards the door behind them. Issei grabbed Raynare's hand and quickly retreated from the room. She followed close behind him, hurrying to keep up.

His mother was nowhere to be seen when they left the office, and they hurried up to Issei's room. Issei opened the door to let Raynare in, then followed behind her. As soon as they were both inside, Issei closed the door behind them, and collapsed against it, sliding down. He started sobbing, and Raynare was at his side instantly.

They both sat on the ground for several minutes, Raynare just holding his hands in hers, before either of them said anything. When one of them did speak up, it was Raynare.

"Issei...I'm sorry." She said. He sniffled and looked at her, wondering what she meant.

"For what…? I meant what I said in there, by the way…" He said, quietly.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't come home with you, this wouldn't have happened…" She said, truly sorry. He didn't quite see it the same way. He sighed, and after a moment he replied.

"No, it still would've happened. It might not have happened then, but it would've happened. I'm just not meant to have a family, I guess." Issei said. His stutter was gone. He was too emotionally defeated to care about how he sounded or what he said. He was broken.

Raynare, too, was hurting. Not because of what his step-douche said to her, she really didn't care, but because of what Issei had to go through. Whatever happened to his real parents obviously scarred him, and then he had to go and leave with these human garbage bags for however long? The poor boy.

"Issei, that's not true. I promise, you'll have a family of your own one day, and we'll- um, they'll love you forever. These people aren't even worth your time." Raynare said, and hugged him. He kept crying.

"Hey, Yuuma. I have a weird question…" Issei asked, slowly. He didn't mess up a single word, but his voice was thick with sadness.

"Yes, Issei? You can ask me anything, I promise." She said. She held his hands firmly, like he'd run off if she gave him half a chance. He traced circles on the back of her hands, like she'd done with him before. It gave them both a small amount of comfort.

"Do you think God is real?" He asked. His hair still covered his eyes, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Obviously she knew God was real, she'd seen him before. He was dead now, but Issei definitely didn't need to know that.

"...I do, Issei. What makes you ask that?" She was almost afraid of his answer. What could make him ask something like that? She desperately hoped he wasn't thinking of suicide again.

"If there really is a God, why is my life so horrible? It's not like I haven't prayed, or asked for salvation. Why couldn't he just help me, or send me an angel or something?" Issei asked, more talking to himself than her at this point. His voice made her sad beyond belief.

' _Oh, Issei. He already has, you just don't know it yet.'_ Raynare thought. She almost considered just showing Issei her wings right then and there, just to comfort him. She quickly dismissed the idea, though. He probably wouldn't react well. She wasn't absolutely sure that was what he needed, not yet.

"Maybe you do have a guardian angel, Issei. Maybe her name is Raynare or something, and she's closer than you think." Raynare said. She was getting _dangerously_ close to revealing the truth, but she didn't care. This boy needed some hope, or love, or something.

Issei gave a dry laugh. "Is that so? Well, I must make her job pretty hard. I hope she has black wings, instead of white. Are they even white? Who cares, angels probably don't exist anyway. God, I'm a mess." He rambled, not even caring what came out of his mouth anymore.

Raynare almost wanted to laugh.

' _Black wings instead of white, huh? Well, I've got just what the doctor ordered.'_ She thought. If she doubted Issei was perfect for her before, she knew he was now. She made her choice.

"Angels don't exist, huh? Be careful, Issei. You'll hurt my feelings."

' _Please don't hate me…'_ She thought.

Raynare unfurled her wings.


	5. Freedom

**Did you all like my cliffhanger? Teehee, I know I liked it. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

 **PS. I'm no longer using all the Japanese suffixes. I find them annoying, and I didn't even use them when I was in Japan.**

 **Read and Review.**

Issei couldn't talk. His mouth wouldn't form words. Raynare crouched in front of him, and behind her...two jet black angel wings. Issei reached a trembling hand out to touch them.

His mind starting connecting the dots, even though he hadn't caught up yet. Her appearance had suddenly changed after sleeping...she totally manhandled Matsuda, despite his bigger size and greater strength...paying for his hospital bill by herself, despite being a 'student'...and, the fact that she had literal wings. Yes, there was no way she was a mundane human.

"So...Raynare, huh? Is that your real name…?" Issei asked quietly, not trusting his own voice. He touched her feathered wings, and was delighted by how soft they were. She nodded mutely.

Raynare wanted to cry, she was so stressed. Was this the right thing to do? How would he react? Would he hate her now? It wasn't too late, if she just used some hypnotism...

No, she made her choice. She had to stick with it, no matter what. Even if he hated her, so be it. This had to happen eventually, so she might as well have done it now.

Issei ran his hand down the length of her right wing. It was as soft as silk.

"You're an angel…" Issei said, softly. Raynare bit her lip. He did hate her, didn't he? How could he not? She'd been keeping a secret from him this whole time, even after she asked for his trust. Not just one secret, either. She wondered how he'd react if he knew she was originally supposed to kill him. Probably not well.

"Please don't hate me…" Raynare said, shaking.

Issei scoffed at her words. "Hate you...? How could I ever live with myself if I hated my angel…?" Issei said. He picked up his head, and looked her in the eyes. She was on the verge of tears. His face was red and his eyes were puffy, but no tears fell. He was out of tears to shed.

He took both her hands in his, surprising her.

"I-Issei?" She said, afraid of what he would do next. Would he tell her to leave, maybe get mad at her for lying to him? She wasn't ready. She didn't want to leave him!

She started to tear up. At that moment, she wasn't an angel, or a fallen angel, or anything supernatural. She was a girl in love, afraid of her soulmate leaving her.

Issei realized how scared she was.

So, he didn't hesitate at all when he leaned forward and kissed her.

Raynare's mind went blank. She was so stunned, that even after he pulled back, she almost didn't even register his next words.

"Yuuma...no, Raynare. How could I ever hate you? You're...you're the only one I have left. Even before I knew you had wings, you were my angel. You could've sprouted frog legs and a lion's mane, and you'd still be the girl who saved me."

Raynare started smiling, then she started laughing, and then she started crying. She threw her arms around him, and she cried. He rubbed her back with one hand, and put the other one on her head, trying to comfort her. She laughed in between sobs. He wasn't really sure how to handle the situation, but he knew he was done being scared.

"Issei, you're the best! I love you!" She said, in between her happy tears. She didn't care anymore. He was hers, and she was his.

"I-I…" Issei couldn't say it, at first. He choked on the words. He steeled himself, and powered through. If he had anything to say about it, he'd never stutter again. He'd leave it behind, just like his ex-family.

"I love you too, Raynare." He said. They sat there, hugging, for quite some time. They were both shrouded by her wings, and Issei enjoyed every second of it.

The door to his room tried to open, but they were still on the ground in front of it.

"Issei. You've got ten minutes. Collect your things and leave, already." His mother's voice said through the door.

Issei sighed. He'd almost forgotten his situation, for a minute there. His head fell back against the door. Raynare withdrew her wings. Issei's brown hair shrouded his face, and she wasn't sure what he was feeling, until she saw a single tear slip down to his cheek. Raynare huffed.

"No. No, no, no, no, no! You're never allowed to be sad again!" Raynare declared, and she wiped the tear off his face and the hair out of his eyes, revealing his defeated expression. He chuckled, dimly.

"But, Raynare...I've got no home. No family. Nowhere to go…" She glared at him, making him wonder what he said wrong. It didn't take long for him to figure out his misstep.

"Well, I guess that's not entirely true, is it?" He said, wiping off his face. She tilted her head, and made a face that said 'keep going.' So, he did.

"I do have a family...and she's got awesome black wings." He said, smiling brightly.

She didn't say anything for a few seconds, and it made Issei second guess what he said. "Was that too corny?" He asked, starting to feel embarrassed.

She couldn't take it anymore. Raynare squealed loud, startling Issei. She practically leapt at him, and wrapped him in the tightest hug he'd ever had.

Issei hissed in pain, making Raynare recoil. She had a remorseful look on her face, and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"Sorry, everything that's happened, I almost forgot you were hurt…" She said, apologetic.

"It's fine. Honestly, I forgot too. I'm not really feeling all that hurt. See?" Issei stood up from his place on the ground and stretched various ways, showing that he was fine. Raynare stood up soon after him.

"That's great. Whatever doctor Lisa Lisa did to you must've been top notch work." Raynare said.

"Mmhm. Well, I guess I should get my stuff. I bet I can still find a hotel room…" Issei said, and began absentmindedly throwing clothes and books into a suitcase he'd had ready by his bed.

"Why did you have a suitcase ready?" Raynare asked. She stood by the door and watched him collect his things, ready to close it if the Mom tried to come in again.

He answered her without looking away from his bookshelf. He was trying to find a book, but couldn't seem to locate it.

"I always knew I'd have to go at some point, I guess. I didn't think I'd literally be kicked out, but I guess it doesn't matter." He said. "Ah, there it is!" He snapped his fingers, and pulled a hardback copy of ' _A dictionary of Angels; Including the Fallen Ones.'_ He flashed the title at her, showing what he found.

"See if you're in here." He crossed the room and handed it to her, and she opened the book with hesitation. Raynare looked at the book with some skepticism. Would it have her in there? She was one of the original angels, but she'd hardly done anything noteworthy…if she was, it'd be under her Angel name, not her Fallen name: Rachiel.

"Oh, hey. I am in here. It's my Angel name, though, not the one you know me by. Or...either of the ones you know me by." She handed him the open book, and pointed to a description.

Issei took it, and looked at the passage, reading intently.

" _Rachiel- One of the angelic luminaries concerned with human sexuality. In Barrett, The Magus 11, Rachiel is one of the 3 angels of Friday. Also, one of the presiding spirits of the planet Venus-according to The Secret Grimoire of Turiel."_

Issei nodded, absorbing the information. He only had one question, at present.

"What in the world does it mean when it says you're an "Angel of Friday?" He asked, looking up from the book. Raynare looked like she didn't know what he was talking about, and he pointed to the line in the large book.

"Hmm. It does say that...I have no idea. Humans come up with some weird stuff, I guess. Though, the rest of this is pretty accurate. I was one of the angels presiding over sexuality, though that's not really how the system works any more. Can you tell?" Raynare said, and gestured towards herself, or more specifically, to her chest. Issei looked away, sporting a healthy blush.

"Um...yeah. Anyway, I think I'm just about ready to go." Issei lifted the handle on his suitcase, and rolled it towards the door. He'd taken a few books, and few sets of clothes, and all his necessary items from his bathroom. Just as he was about to open the door to leave, he snapped his fingers.

"Ah! How could I forget, my most prized possession." He went into his closet, which Raynare hadn't seen opened until now, and retrieve something. When he came out, he was holding a small red wooden box, covered with soft white cloth. Raynare looked in confusion at the box, which was giving off a faint holy aura. Issei probably had no idea, but whatever was in that box was most likely a holy relic or enchanted item.

"What is that?" Raynare asked, curious. "I can feel the aura from here." Issei looked apprehensive. He didn't really want to open the box. Not because he didn't want to show her what was inside, he wouldn't have gotten out if he didn't, but because the latch on the box was tough to open and he always had trouble with it. He didn't want to embarrass himself by failing to open a box in front of Raynare.

"A ring, actually," Issei said, "given to me by my mother, my _real_ mother, before she passed away. She said it would protect me in times of need. I think this is a time of need, considering everything." He said, and removed the cloth from around the cherrywood box. He began trying to open the box, but couldn't get the latch to come loose. He tried harder.

Raynare watched with a smirk while he struggled to open the small box. He was red in the face from trying so hard, and was obviously exerting himself a bit too much to be healthy.

"Almost there, I think…!" He said, pulling as hard as could. He hissed as he lost his grip and he cut his hand on the latch, dropping the box on the floor. A scratch appeared on his finger, and a drop of blood landed on the latch. Suddenly, the latch opened itself, just like clockwork. Air hissed out of the box, like it had been far too long since it was opened.

Raynare shuddered as the holy aura hit her full-force. It was potent, and felt ancient. Whatever Issei had in there was precious.

"Ah, see? All part of the plan." He said, waving his cut hand around in the air, and picking up the box with his other hand. He opened the lid, and took out a plain golden ring with a small, flat, black pearl set in the center.

The ring was obviously _extremely_ old, indicated by the dull color of the gold. It was a simple double banded gold ring, with no defining features other than the black pearl at the center. Etched on the surface of the pearl, was a seal in the shape of a hexagram.

"Issei...that's a very old holy relic. I don't know what, exactly, but it's practically _dripping_ with power. Where did your mom get that, exactly?" Raynare asked, looking hard at the ring. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out the purpose of the seal. It was an extremely complex emblem, but the basis of it was demon sealing. It was so advanced, she had no idea of the actual function of the ring.

"She was a treasure hunter. I assume she found it during one of her and my father's expeditions, but I'm not sure. I actually had several cool artifacts, but most of them were repossessed by my stepparents when I moved in. That sword on the mantle in the living room, for one." Issei said.

Sword? She hadn't even noticed one. On the bright side, if she didn't notice it, that meant it probably wasn't a holy sword or relic, so no one would come looking for it.

"That's amazing. So why didn't they take the ring? I mean, I'm glad they didn't, but that seems like something they'd want." Raynare asked, admiring the beautiful artifact. Strange seal or not, it was gorgeous.

"Well, I'm sure they would've, if they knew I had it. I never let them see the box. It's very precious to me, so they wouldn't have been able to take it regardless. I wouldn't let them." Issei said. He pulled the ring from the box, and slipped it on his finger. Nothing changed, to Raynare's relief.

"It's good luck, I think. Mom wouldn't have given it to me if it was something dangerous. She is...was...a pacifist. It can't be anything too bad." He said, admiring how the ring looked on his finger. He clapped his hands together, and went back to his suitcase.

"Well, that's that, I guess. The rest of my artifacts aren't anything special...at least, not that I know of. My ex-step-parents can have what's left." Issei rolled his suitcase out the door, and down the stairs to the living room. Raynare followed close behind him. When they reached the living room, she looked to the mantle of the fireplace, and sure enough, there was a beautiful sword sitting horizontally across it. She felt an extremely faint holy aura, but nothing even worth noting. A priest had probably blessed it at some point.

They passed Issei's mother on the way out of the house. She was shooting them both a smug grin, like she'd won a game they'd been playing.

' _Just you wait, bitch. I'll be back in a second.'_ Raynare thought to herself, plotting. They left the house and stepped onto the driveway, Issei rolling his large suitcase behind him.

"So, where to now?" Issei said, looking back at Raynare. She looked back at the house, and patted her pockets, like she was trying to find something.

"Oh, I forgot something. I'll go grab it really quick, be right back!" Raynare said, and dashed back into the house.

"Ray- oh, ok." Issei said, reaching his hand out. She was inside before he could even offer to help her find whatever it was. He stood out on the driveway for a good five minutes and was just about to go back inside when Raynare came back out, holding her bag. Issei hadn't seen her bring it with them from the hospital and could only assume it had something to do with her being an Angel.

"Ok, I'm good. I called Lisa Lisa, too." Raynare said, walking up to Issei. He looked surprised. Did Angels really use phones?

"What did you talk about?" Issei asked, curious.

"I asked her if she knew a good place to go. She said that she has an empty penthouse apartment that would be perfect for us to use. It's even pretty close to your school." Raynare said. She took Issei's free hand in hers.

"That's great! Is she, uh...is she going to drive us, or should we start walking…?" Issei asked. He really didn't want to walk with hurt ribs. While he was feeling much better, he definitely didn't want to risk damaging anything else.

"I've got that covered. Don't freak out!" Raynare said, and suddenly the two of them were outside a large apartment building, all the way across town.

"Why would I freak o-" Issei stopped mid-sentence as he realized they just teleported. "That's insane." He said, amazed. He had his suitcase and everything, and people walked all around them, either not noticing or not caring about the sudden appearing act.

Raynare lead the way, and the two went into the building. They took an elevator up to the highest floor, the 20th story, and went into the nice hallway. There was an access code to get into the door, but Raynare put it in easily, like she'd lived there her whole life.

She opened the door, and they both walked in. The room was extremely nice and well furnished. The ceiling was high, despite being an apartment, and the walls were white and black. The whole room gave off a modern vibe, which they both liked. There was two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but they both put their things inside the master bedroom. Despite it being someone else's property, there was nothing in any of the drawers or dressers or closets, like it'd never even been lived in.

They'd been sitting in the kitchen of the apartment for about a minute, figuring out where things were, when the door opened and Lisa Lisa stepped inside.

"Hello, hello! You both sure got here fast! Do you like the place? Of course you do, you're young, and it's modern! What's the word nowadays...chic? Something like that. Well, don't just sit there, talk to me!" Lisa Lisa said, chuckling softly. As she talked, she walked to where they were in the kitchen and sat down with them at the bar.

"Hi, Lisa Lisa. Thanks for letting us stay here." Issei said, politely.

She laughed. "Think nothing of it! I have houses and apartments all over the world, consider this one yours! I mean it, too. It's yours." She said. She got serious and looked Issei in the eyes. "Issei, Yuuma filled me in. Your stepmonsters kicked you out on your own. I'm giving you this place. It's payed for completely, you don't have to keep up with rent or bills or anything. Just make sure to keep it tidy, hmm?" Lisa Lisa said, and tousled Issei's hair.

He smiled brightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" He said, and bowed to her. Raynare bowed to, following his lead.

She waved them off. "Don't worry about it! Now, how are those ribs treating you?"

* * *

Raynare stepped back inside the house. She'd told Issei she forgot something, and she had forgotten her bag, but in reality she wanted his step-parents to pay for making his life miserable. So, she'd hit them where it hurts.

Issei's mother came to see why they'd come back inside, only to be greeted by Raynare.

"What do you want, harlot? Why are you here?" The mother said, narrowing here eyes.

"You believe in God, right? What about Angels?" Raynare said. She clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to keep herself calm. This dirtbag of a human had made Issei's life horrible. Not to mention she'd insulted Raynare several times during her time here. So, Raynare would make her pay, naturally. And to do it, she'd use the woman's religious beliefs against her.

"Of course I believe in God. And as for Angels, they're God's tools for righteousness and love. They should be worshipped just like him." Issei's mother said, and rubbed the cross on her neck. She was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

"I agree completely. So, you'd do anything an Angel told you to?" Raynare said, and stepped closer.

The woman backed up, despite herself. "O-of course I would. Now what do you want? Leave, before I call the cops!" She said, and pointed a finger at Raynare.

Raynare smirked. She unfurled her wings, reveling in the woman's shocked reaction. As she approached Issei's stepmom, the woman fell to the ground and began to pray furiously. She started to cry as Raynare grew closer. Not out of fear, but out of repentance. She was guilty.

Raynare looked down at her, and pulled up the woman's face so she'd look her in the eyes.

"Go in there, and use that sword you stole from Issei to kill your husband, then call the police and turn yourself in. Do so, and I will spare your soul the fires of hell." Raynare said, and threw the woman backwards onto the floor. Could Raynare spare the woman from hell? Not even almost. She wasn't even a heavenly angel.

In the time it took Raynare to go grab her bag from Issei's room upstairs, the woman had already retrieved the sword and made her way into the office. Raynare didn't need enhanced hearing to hear the screams.

 _'Serves them right. Now Issei's free.'_


	6. Dragon rising

**Ok, the growth of this story is** _ **insane**_ **. At the time of writing, this story has 220 Followers, and 175 Favorites. That's crazy, for only having 20,000-ish words. I'd like to give a thank-you to everyone who's followed/f** **avorited** **/reviewed/read or even looked at this story so far, I'm glad you did. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

"That's good, that's good. I'm glad you're feeling better. In fact, I'm so glad you're feeling better, that I've decided you can go back to school tomorrow, no extra rest needed !" Lisa Lisa said, giving Issei a thumbs up.

The two of them were sitting with Raynare at the countertop bar in the kitchen of Issei's new apartment, talking about his medical condition.

"Oh...great, school….y~ay…" Issei said with fake enthusiasm, waving his hands around sarcastically. He really wasn't eager to go back, especially if Matsuda was still sore about being thrown around like a toy.

"I think you'll find it'll be a bit better now. After all, going to school with your lady friend should be oodles of fun, no?" Lisa Lisa asked, grinning at him.

Issei looked at Raynare, who was looking down and fidgeting with the hem of the dress she was still wearing. "Ra...Y-Yuuma, you're going to school with me?" He'd almost slipped in saying her name, but that wasn't important. How in the world had she arranged that? She'd been with him all day!

"I am, Issei. Neat, huh?" She said, and smiled at him. He'd have to get the details on that later. More importantly, how had Lisa Lisa known? Issei glanced at her, but she had her usual aloof smile. He sighed. She knew everything, it seemed.

"Well, I'm glad you're both safe, anyway. Living with parents like that can be such a doozy." Lisa stood up from her seat at the bar, groaning at the strain. "Well, I'll be heading on home now. I wanted to come make sure the two of you settle in alright. There's no toiletries, or clothes, or anything, really, so you'll have to buy your own stuff. Let me know if you need anything. I'm old and rich, if you haven't already guessed it." She said with a wink.

Issei and Raynare stood and waved her out. She left with a parting shot. "No nephilim running around in the apartment, eh?" She said, cackling. Lisa Lisa stepped out the door and left the apartment, leaving Raynare with a flabbergasted look on her face and Issei with a confused look on his.

"Nephilim? What's a nephilim?" Issei asked, looking at Raynare, who was glaring at where Lisa Lisa left from.

"That old lady knows way more than she lets on…" Raynare said, shaking her head. Issei asked his question again.

"Raynare, what's a nephilim? Is it something bad?" Issei said. He truly had no idea what the old woman was talking about. Raynare looked at him, and grinned.

"Issei, a nephilim is the child of an angel and a human. Want me to give you one~?" she said in a sing song voice, and left her chair to walk over to Issei. He blushed and started to stammer as Raynare came over to him and sat on his lap with no warning whatsoever.

"Ra-Raynare! You c-can't just do that!" He said. He spoke loud, but he wasn't yelling and he wasn't trying to get her off of him, so she stayed put. The chair they were on was big enough, and Issei was more than welcome to get up if she was really bothering him, but he didn't do anything. She took this as a confirmation too stay exactly where she was, so she did. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on him like she was a kid.

"Issei~. The day isn't even half over yet, let's go do something. Go out with me." She said, remembering how she asked him out last time and got denied. She hoped this time would be different. He'd already said he loved her, so it shouldn't be an issu-

"No." Issei said, looking her in the eyes. Her whole world turned upside down and her heart leapt into her throat.

No? Did he just say no?

' _But...but he said he loves me…? What…?'_ Raynare's mind was moving fast, trying to figure out where she went wrong. Had it been her wings? It had to have been. Or maybe it was because she sat on his lap? No, no, what was it? Was it something she said...what was it that made him hate her?

He looked her in the eyes. Slowly, before she could come up with a response, Issei took her hands in his, unwrapping her arms from around him. He cupped his hands around hers and held them tight, so she'd never leave. She looked like she'd shatter at any second, and neither of them so much as breathed.

Raynare was terrified. But when he spoke, all her fears washed away.

"Raynare, I love you. Will you go out with me?" Issei said, not stuttering on even a syllable.

She started to laugh. The relief was visible on her face. Issei was sure she'd be mad at him for his little joke, so he started to explain himself.

"Well, I messed up last time, so I figured I should do it right this time. So, I'm going by the books and confessing my feelings, then asking you out. That's how it should be, right?" He was answered by Raynare throwing her arms around him again and kissing him on the lips.

When she pulled back, there was a tear in her eye. She was so happy it hurt.

"Of course I'll go out with you, dummy. But don't you _ever,_ " she said, narrowing her eyes and tightening her arms around him, " _ever_ scare me like that again. I thought you hated me. I was so scared…" she said, and loosened her grip.

He hugged her back, and pulled her close. He whispered in her ear. "I already told you, Ray. I could never hate my angel, no matter what. I love you, I really do."

On the inside, Raynare was squealing. His words made her giddy with joy, and she could hardly contain herself. Somehow, this boy always knew what to say to turn her into putty. She left his lap and stood up, turning around so he couldn't see her massive blush. If he kept going, she'd consummate their love right here, with or without his permission.

"Let's go shopping. You need some clothes, and some stuff for the house." Raynare suggested, changing the topic.

Issei stood up too, stretching. "That's a good idea. Should we go now?" He asked.

"Let's go a bit later. I need to take a shower, since I didn't get one this morning. I'll go take one. You're welcome to join me, if you'd like~." Raynare teased, adding a swing to her hips as she walked towards the master bedroom.

"I-I think I'll p-pass." Issei stammered, fighting off a blush. She giggled, and went into the bedroom.

The room had a king-size bed facing a large tv hanging off the black and white walls, and a nightstand on either side of the bed. There was a small table with two chairs next to a huge window with a gorgeous view of the city, and a bookshelf on the other side of the room. There was a door on one side of the room which lead to the master bathroom, which is where Raynare was headed.

She entered the bathroom, and began to take a shower. Issei, on the other hand, was hit with a wave of fatigue. He decided to go take a nap, and wait for her to get out of the shower. He entered the bedroom, laid down on the large bed, and closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

* * *

When Issei opened his eyes, he saw was fire. Memories of the dream from earlier that day came rushing back to him, and he looked for the dragon. If he could just talk to the dragon again, he could get that power, the power to change the world...he wanted it.

He called out for the dragon, desperately trying to find it. "Hey! Draaagon! Where are you?!" Issei yelled. He wanted nothing more than to speak with the dragon again, to take the offered power. He didn't have to wait for long, though.

The dragon's massive head appeared from behind the wall of flames, making Issei sigh in relief.

" **Hoh? You were shaking in your boots earlier, and now you're happy to see me? Well, that's quite the switch. It's only been a few hours...though I can tell a change has taken place in your mind. Perhaps it was my fault? Maybe. Maybe not. So, what do you what, human?"** The dragon asked, curious.

Issei inhaled, and steeled himself. He had a feeling this would be harder than he thought. "I want power!" He yelled. The dragon chuckled.

" **They all do. Fine! If you want it so bad, then come take it!"** The dragon boomed, and brought out the gauntlet again, right in the middle of his clawed hand. He held it out for Issei to take, but once again, Issei couldn't move. He was kept still by an unknown force.

' _No! No, damn it! I want it!'_ Issei screamed in his own mind, and began to struggle forward, extremely slowly. Whatever was keeping his body in place hurt him every time he moved, but it was bearable. He moved, slowly, towards the gauntlet, not stopping even for second. As he neared it, his breathing became ragged, and his body ached. He was in more pain than he'd even been in, but he was almost there.

"Give me...that power!" He yelled, and lunged forward into the dragon's claw.

He touched the gauntlet, and a flash of green light filled his vision.

The dragon's laugh filled the space around them. " **Bwahaha! Well done, very well done! Not many can make it on only their second try, but I see you're a cut above the rest. Very well, I'll give you my power! Issei Hyoudou, my name is Ddraig, your partner! From this day forth, you are the Red Dragon Emperor!"**

The green light died down, and Issei could see again. He was standing on the dragon's open claw, able to move freely once more. Nothing had changed, save for his left arm. Upon it, was a crimson gauntlet with two green gems set in the hand and forearm. Two large golden spikes jutted out at the elbow, and spikes of the same color as the gauntlet dotted the whole thing.

Issei moved his arm around, examining it. He didn't feel any different. He certainly didn't feel like he could change the world. "What is it?" He asked, looking up at the dragon.

The dragon looked down on Issei with contempt in his massive reptilian eyes. " **I see they don't teach you children anything useful these days. That, my dear boy, is the gauntlet of the Red Dragon, the Boosted Gear. It has the power to double your strength every ten seconds, with your body as the only limit."** Ddraig explained, taking pride in his power.

Issei listened intently, wanting to understand every bit of this new power. ' _Double my strength every ten seconds? Seems kind of ridiculous, honestly.'_ Issei thought. If your base power was defined as a 10, then after ten seconds it would be 20, and after ten more it would be 40, and ten more after that would make it 80, and so on. After two minutes, you'd have a base power of 40,960. That's _insane_. Even a child would be overpowered when equipped with something so powerful.

 _ **(AN: I might have done that math wrong. Don't hate me if I did.)**_

Unbeknownst to Issei, Ddraig could hear his every thought. " **Ha! It's quite powerful, hm? Well, that power is now yours to command. You'll have to train rigorously to be able to use it's full potential, naturally, but you shouldn't have a problem with that. Now I think you'd better wake up, you're about to have a very worried Fallen Angel on your case."** Ddraig said, using his other claw to wave goodbye to Issei. Issei waved back, and all his vision went dark.

* * *

Raynare walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel on, hoping to surprise Issei.

She did not expect him to be in the bedroom.

She did not expect him to be taking a nap.

And she did not expect him to have the Gauntlet of the Welsh Dragon on his arm.

Raynare covered her mouth with her hands and tried not to cry. This would make things so much _harder._ Now, they'd not only have to contend with Kokabiel, they'd have to worry about the White Dragon Emperor, too! Raynare knew the White Dragon Emperor of this generation, and she knew without a doubt that Issei wouldn't stand a chance. That guy was a powerhouse.

She'd been hoping it was anything else. Even the damn True Longinus would've been better than the Boosted Gear! Issei was _soo_ not the right kind of person for such a battle hungry sacred gear. He wasn't a fighter! Raynare sat on the edge of the bed, and buried her head in her hands. How could this happen? Their life together was just getting started, and here it was already going to end. Maybe she could hide him? No, the White One would already know about his awakening.

' _What am I going to do?'_ Raynare thought. She looked at Issei's sleeping form. He was totally serene, and the only sign he was alive was the constant rising and falling of his chest. Raynare was overcome all at once by both an unbearable sadness and a strong desire to protect him. While she was powerful, she was nowhere near the unbridled power of the Red Dragon, and Issei would soon be the one protecting her. Until then, though, she would keep him safe.

She promised herself she'd protect him. To that end, she needed to get rid of Kokabiel. So, she decided to call Azazel, leader and governor of the Fallen Angels, and report Kokabiel for his treachery. She stepped out of the bedroom.

{Azazel?} Raynare asked. She was using a communication magic circle.

{That's me. I hope this is something important, I was right in the middle of some research.} The Governor said, impatient.

{Oh, it is. Vital, I'd say. Can you come to me within a few minutes?} Raynare asked, hoping he'd say yes.

{I suppose. This better be worth my time, Raynare.}

{Thank you, Lord Azazel.}

She dispersed the magic, and returned to Issei. He was sleeping so soundly, she almost didn't care about the gauntlet on his arm or all the pain it would bring the two of them. She kneeled down beside his spot on the bed, and gently caressed his face. He slowly opened his eyes. As soon as his eyes opened, the Boosted Gear vanished, like it was never there.

"Hey, beautiful." He said as soon as he saw her. She bit down on the smile that immediately fought to her lips, and remembered what she had to do.

"Issei, you've gotta get up. We're going to have company here in a bit." She said softly, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He groaned and sat up. He realized what she was wearing, and jumped halfway across the room.

"R-Raynare, what are you w-wearing?!" Issei yelled, averting his eyes. He was blushing intensely, and wouldn't look in her direction. She giggled, and decided to tease him.

"Issei, you just called me beautiful and now you won't even look at me? Gosh, how awful are you…" She said, and began to fake cry. Issei was at her side in an instant, though he made sure his eyes were tightly shut.

"I-I didn't mean it! I just...you're n-naked!" He said, trying and failing to get his point across. She giggled silently, so he wouldn't hear, and decided to crank it up a notch.

"Fine, fine. I'll change." Raynare went to her bag and loudly opened and closed the zipper, making it sound like she was retrieving her clothes. In reality, she just took off her towel, leaving her wearing nothing but a smile.

"Okay, you can look now." She said, and struck a pose. Issei sighed in relief, then opened his eyes.

"Gwah!" Issei shouted random nonsense and immediately fell down onto the floor. He covered his eyes with his hands as fast as he could, but he'd definitely still seen her naked. He stuttered and stammered, trying to apologize and ask why she'd done that, but he couldn't form any coherent words. Raynare was laughing, but she felt a tad guilty. She knew he wouldn't be able to handle seeing her naked.

She walked toward him, slowly. "Come on, Issei. I can't be so ugly you'd cover your eyes instead of looking at me, right…?" She said. She crouched down by him, and threw him into a hug, still naked.

"R-Raynare?! W-what are you d-doing?!" He could feel _everything_. He wasn't necessarily complaining, but he sure wasn't comfortable with the situation. "I can f-feel them, Raynare! You gotta get off!" He yelled, but he didn't thrash around. He was worried that if he tried too hard to shake her off, he'd hurt her. She knew it, too. It made her hug him even tighter.

"That's the point, dummy. You're supposed to feel them." She said in a seductive voice. Issei exhaled and stopped struggling. He forced himself to calm down.

"Raynare, didn't you say s-something about company?" He asked, trying to keep his voice steady. No sooner than the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang. Raynare begrudgingly let go of Issei, who sprang up as soon as he was free. "I'll go answer that!" Issei said, and practically sprinted to the door. Raynare was left naked on the ground, but she had a grin on her face.

' _I love that boy.'_ Raynare thought. He'd not only tried to spare her modesty, but even when he was uncomfortable he refused to do anything that might hurt her.

Issei opened the door, and standing outside in the hallway was a tall man, dressed in a sport jacket without a tie. His undershirt and jacket were unbuttoned, and his chest was visible. He looked at Issei like he wasn't what the man was expecting.

"Who might you be?" The tall man asked. Issei was confused. Who knocks on your door, and then asks who you are when you answer? That's not how it's supposed to go.

"Uh...I'm Issei Hyoudou, I own the penthouse. Can I help you?" Issei said. Truthfully, he was kind of worried. The man looked like he could cause problems if he felt like it.

"Yeah. Is Raynare in there?" The man asked, looking past Issei. He didn't answer right away, he was lost in thought.

' _He knows Raynare? Does that mean...is he an angel too?"_ Issei wondered.

"Say, kid...where'd you get that ring?" The man asked, his attention suddenly back on Issei. He was looking at the ring on Issei's finger with no small amount of curiosity, and it made Issei nervous. He moved the hand with the ring on it behind his back.

"Oh, good! You're here!" Raynare came up from behind Issei, and greeted the man at the door. Issei stepped back so she could talk to him. Thankfully, she was dressed again. She was wearing a black long sleeve T-shirt, and blue jeans.

"Hi, Raynare. So, what's so important? I was in the middle of some fascinating research on the past wielders of the Boosted Gear. Really neat stuff. Did you know one of them managed to kill two of the White Ones in a single lifetime? Incredible." The man said, and stepped into the house. He spoke like Lisa Lisa did, with very little pause in his words.

"Speaking of which, have you located the Red Dragon of this generation yet?" Raynare asked. Issei blanched. Were they talking about him?

[They are talking about us, yes. I'm assuming the man doesn't know, though I know for a fact the girl does. She saw you with the Boosted Gear out while you were asleep.] The voice of Ddraig spoke into Isse's mind, startling him.

"No, I haven't. I know he'll awaken soon, though, if he hasn't already." The man said. He made himself at home, and plopped down on one of the couches in the main room.

"I know why you haven't found him." Raynare said, in a very matter-of-fact voice.

"Why's that?" The man said, gaining an edge to his voice. He didn't like when people knew something he didn't.

"Because he's right here." Raynare said, and gestured to Issei. Issei looked at Raynare like she was crazy while she only grinned back at him. The man looked at him with a newfound curiosity.

[Well, cat's out of the bag. Might as well introduce ourselves.] Ddraig said to Issei.

The man stood back up, and went to shake Issei's hand. "Issei, was it? Well, good to meet you. My name is Azazel, and I'm the leader of the Fallen Angels." They shook hands, but Issei's mind was racing at a thousand miles per minute.

' _Leader? Of the Fallen Angels? Wait...Fallen? That only makes sense, her wings are black...so, he's her boss, then…? Wait a second, the Azazel from the bible?!'_

[You do _not_ have to shout in your own head. It's louder than you think in here, kid.]

"G-good to meet you, Azazel. So, what are you here for?" Issei asked, curious.

"Well, I came to see what your girlfriend wanted, but now I'm staying because you're the Red Dragon, and because you've got the Ring of Solomon on your finger."

Issei went pale. This was the ring of Solomon? The one King Solomon used to make demons build his temple? He looked at it with a new admiration.

"From that reaction, I'm guessing you didn't know about it? Well, here's the short version. That ring can be used to control devils. I'd like to take it, but I figure I'll let you hang on to it. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. Raynare, what did you want?" Azazel said, looking to Raynare.

"Kokabiel has defected. He's planning on starting a war by killing the sisters of the Satans here in Kuoh." Raynare said, not missing a beat. Issei had no idea what either of them were talking about.

"Hmm. That's grave news. Very well. I'll dispatch one of my people to take care of it. Now Raynare, you realize, if this turns out to be a lie, it's your head that rolls, right?" Azazel asked, drawing a line across his neck. Issei did know what that means, but he knew he wouldn't let anyone kill Raynare, ever.

"You won't touch her." Issei said, glaring at Azazel. The man chuckled, then turned to leave.

"Right, right. I'd like to speak with you again, Issei Hyoudou. You're going to be a very interesting person, I can tell already. I'll see the both of you some other time. Peace." Azazel said, leaving. The door closed behind him, and Issei let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Did you just threaten the governor general of all Fallen Angels for me, Issei?" Raynare cooed. She approached him, and hugged him from behind.

"Of course. No one's taking you from me, not now, not ever. You're stuck with me, Ray." Issei said, with a fire in his eyes. He turned his head to look at her. She had a tear in her eye.

"You're the best, Issei. Let's go shopping."

"I need to shower first, too."

"Oh, good! I'll help you!"

"Wait, no. Raynare!"

"Don't struggle so much, Issei! We'll never get you out of those pants like that!"

 **That's that. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I do, and get ready for some action in the near future.**

 **PS. I've been thinking about it. Should I write a lemon for this story? Frankly, I don't want to, but if enough people want one, I'll post it as a** **separate** **story. It won't be attached to this one, since it's rated T and I'm not changing it, but I will write one and post it** **separately** **if enough people want it.**


	7. Rematch

**Okay, so a couple things I need to talk about first.**

 **1: The last chapter was rushed, apparently. (Or so I was told by about three people) You guys might not realize this, but the past three or four chapters have taken place over less than a couple hours. I've been** _ **trying**_ **to rush it, so we can get into more** **interesting** **(** **fluffy** **) parts of the story. If you think it's a problem, deal with it. If you think it's fine, I love you.**

 **2: I skipped the 'Twice Critical' stage of the Boosted Gear. Why? I think it's stupid how Issei has to level up his sacred gear from trash when literally** ** _no one else in DxD has to._** **I get he's weak, but really? Come on. So, in my story, when Issei is emotionally ready, Ddraig just lets him have the Boosted Gear, no strings attached. It's all good.**

 **3: I've looked over all of the reviews from the last chapter (big thank-you to everyone who left one!) and I have decided to** ** _not_** **write a lemon for now. I might, like 10 chapters from now, but for the foreseeable future, I will not be writing one. I'd like to give a shout out to Zistonian Battle Sign for clearing the issue up for me. His review was a huge help in determining my perspective on the matter. Thanks!**

 **4: Is Lisa Lisa a member of the supernatural world? Nope. Or is she? ;)**

 **Alright, here's the next chapter! Read and Review!**

Issei groaned. "Why am I carrying all these bags, exactly?" He asked. Issei had, in his arms, no less than 10 bags of varying items from Kuoh's mall.

Raynare smiled. "Because, sweetie. How can a sweet and vulnerable girl like me carry all those heavy bags? I might hurt myself." Raynare said, feigning weakness. She fanned herself with one hand while she talked, giving the impression that she couldn't be bothered.

Issei scoffed. "Vulnerable, right. Why am I carrying your stuff, anyway? Weren't we supposed to be shopping for me...?" Issei complained. He wasn't normally the whiny type, but the weight of all Raynare's packages was starting to hurt his back. He considered Boosting himself for the very first time just to get some help in carrying it all.

"Don't worry, Issei...I'll make it worth your while~!" Raynare said, whispering. A blush spread out over his face, and he looked away.

"P-pass." He muttered, shifting under the weight of all the packages. Raynare smirked. He was too cute.

They walked closely together in Kuoh's only shopping mall. So far, Issei had one bag, with some shirts in it, and Raynare had several, all with various clothes and shoes. Issei had offered to pay several times over, but Raynare had never let him.

"So where to now?" Issei said. Despite his situation, he was enjoying spending time with Raynare.

Even with how close they were now, the fact remained: they had only known each other for a handful of days. So, he relished every chance he got to spend time with Raynare, in the hopes he'd learn more about her.

"I'm not sure. Want to help me pick out some underwear?" Raynare cooed, leaning into Issei. He stumbled when she spoke, and it took everything he had not to drop the packages. He blushed like mad, and looked away from her.

She took the opportunity, and whispered directly into his ear while his back was turned.

"I'll wear anything you p~ick." She said, playing on his timidity. That was the last straw. Issei tripped and fell over, dropping the bags all over the floor in the middle of the mall.

Raynare giggled, but helped him up. His face was beet red, and he wouldn't look her in the eyes, but he had a meek smile. They picked up the bags, and this time, Raynare took her fair share. Issei was glad for the help, but couldn't help feel a little emasculated. He was also the slightest bit embarrassed at having fallen on his face in the middle of a mall.

They walked on, in relative silence. It was only about half a minute later when Issei's stomach growled, loud.

"I guess we never did get to eat anything, huh?" Raynare said, thinking. It had been one hectic morning, with Issei getting kicked out of his house, receiving an apartment, meeting Azazel, and everything in between. They'd never eaten breakfast, and it was about noon. They were both hungry.

"S-sorry. I guess not." Issei said. He was mildly embarrassed that she heard his stomach growling, but glad she didn't make a big deal out of it.

"Well, where should we go? It _is_ our first date, so choose wisely…" Raynare said, winking at him. Issei blanched.

First date? She was right, of course, but he hadn't even thought about that since earlier when he asked her out. This revelation brought on a whole new level of anxiety to Issei's mind. What if he chose wrong? What did she even like? Were angels vegetarians? What if he picked wrong? He didn't know!

"I'm messing with you, Issei. Let's get something cheap at the food court." Raynare said, smiling. He sighed in relief. Of course Raynare wouldn't do something as trivial as make him freak out over where to eat. He'd only known her for a few days, but he had a feeling she wasn't very high maintenance. Though, with all the bags he was carrying, he couldn't exactly justify that feeling.

"O-okay. You should pick." Issei said, wanting her to make the choice. She'd said 'something cheap' but how cheap was too cheap? What did cheap mean to her, anyway? Issei didn't want to be the one to mess up. He'd eat anything she picked, so he just let her decide.

"Sure." She said, then pointed out a Subway. Issei loved Subway, actually. No matter what kind of sandwich he got, he always enjoyed it. He gave her a thumbs up, and they walked towards it.

 _ **(AN: Before anyone says 'they don't have Subway in Japan' I'm going to tell you straight up: yes they do.)**_

Before they got there, Issei felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and Issei came face to face with a police officer. He immediately became nervous. He'd never gotten in trouble with the police or done anything illegal, but whenever he talked to police officers he still felt like he'd done something wrong, no matter what.

Raynare was slightly ahead of Issei, so it took her a second to notice that he'd stopped. Once she realized what happened, she became very worried. She knew what the officer was there for.

"Are you Issei Hyoudou?" The officer asked. He stood almost a whole head above Issei, and was solidly built. He had blonde hair, and blue eyes. He didn't look unkind, but Issei was thoroughly intimidated, despite both he and Raynare having supernatural powers.

"Y-yes, sir. I-Is something wrong?" Issei said, stuttering. He was very nervous. A cop had singled him out? Something had to be bad.

If Issei was nervous, Raynare was a wreck. He didn't notice, because he was looking at the cop, but Raynare was almost breaking down. She hadn't expected the police to try and contact Issei so early. She was worried about what his reaction would be, and rightfully so. He might have hated his parents, but he was a kind person and wouldn't be happy with her for murdering his father, even if she hadn't done it directly.

She began to regret the action.

' _What the hell? I've killed people many times, why is this time different? Why am I guilty?'_ She was very confused by the swirl of emotions. She'd almost never felt guilty, other than one other time with Issei, and that was about it. She wasn't even guilty as she ordered the mother to kill her husband, so why was she now? Raynare was beyond conflicted.

Issei wasn't faring much better.

"My name is Officer Yoshikage. I've got some bad news, son. You might want to sit down. Or, we can go to the station and I'll explain everything there. Up to you." The officer said. Gesturing to Issei.

Issei was frightened. What had happened that was so bad? He pulled one of the food court chairs under himself, and sat down. He gave the officer a solemn nod, and the officer continued.

"Well, here's what happened. I'll go as quickly as possible, so try and stay with me. Earlier this morning, we received a call from your stepmom, and she was hysterical. She...she had just murdered your stepfather, and she was turning herself in. When we got to the scene, she was ranting about an angel telling her to do it. We don't really know what she was talking about, and we can't ask her, because she killed herself with a sword as we attempted to apprehend her. I'm, uh...I'm sorry." The officer hung his head.

Issei was numb.

His stepmother had...killed his stepfather?

An...angel? An angel told her to?

No, it couldn't be.

' _Raynare?'_

Issei turned to Raynare, slowly. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"I'll, uh, I'll be right over there if you need me." Officer Yoshikage dismissed himself to a table nearby, leaving the two alone to talk for a moment.

Issei's mind was whirling. He was feeling so many different emotions that he couldn't even begin to express himself. Happiness, guilt, anger, grief, remorse, relief. He was happy, that they got what they deserved. He felt guilt that he was happy someone died. He was angry that they died before he could have some kind of revenge. He felt grief over the fact that his last bit of family, regardless of how distant they were, was now gone. He was remorseful that he had been so rude to his stepfather when last they spoke, no matter how much he deserved it. He was relieved…that they were gone. But, most of all, he was hurt that Raynare had done something like that without telling him.

She'd lied. She told him she went back inside to get something, and she _killed his parents._

He wasn't mad at her. He hated them, more than anyone could ever know. He wasn't sad that they were gone, not really. He was simply...disappointed. How could she take two human lives so callously, without a care in the world? He didn't hate her; he wouldn't hate her, he couldn't. But...he was hurting. He was hurting plenty.

Raynare was _terrified._ She was absolutely beside herself with fear at how Issei would react. At that moment, she'd never regret anything more in her entire life. Issei would hate her for sure. She was shaking, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Issei…" Raynare said, but trailed off. She didn't even know what to say. She was sorry. She was so, so sorry, but she didn't get the chance to tell him so.

Issei turned and ran.

"Issei!" She yelled, and ran after him. The officer went to chase them, but he noticed all the things they'd left behind. He sighed. Yoshikage figured they could work it out, so he took the bags and started carrying them to his car. He'd load up all their stuff, then go after them. That way, they wouldn't lose anything.

Raynare ran through the mall, not caring who she bumped in to. She had Issei at the edge of her vision, though he was steadily outrunning her. She was yelling for him, but he wouldn't turn around, no matter what. Raynare want to just unfurl her wings and fly after him, but that would cause several problems that neither of them could handle. So, she ran after him.

Issei ran, he ran and ran and ran, all the way until he was out of the mall and away from all the people, all the voices, all the noise. He'd felt like he was drowning. He'd heard Raynare calling after him, but he didn't stop. Issei kept running, even after he'd left the mall behind. He ended up in front of a fountain, all alone. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He'd never run that much in his life, not once.

Issei sat back, and just looked around. He was in a park, no one was around, and there was a nice fountain spewing water into the air. It was a little past noon, and the sun was bright in the sky. The grass underneath him was soft, and he laid back on it. His emotions were running rampant, but he just felt indifferent. Sure, his step parents were dead, but did he honestly feel sad for them? No. Was he mad at Raynare? Yes, but not for killing them, just for doing something so important without even telling him. Raynare had lied to him.

But, that didn't matter. She'd already saved his life twice. Once when Matsuda was beating him, and then again when he wanted to kill himself. So, he owed her more than he could ever repay. He still loved her, and she was still his Angel. But, nevertheless, he was hurt.

Issei laid on the grass for several minutes, just watching the fountain. He was overtaken by melancholy, and couldn't bring himself to get up.

What would happen to his step parents' fortune? They were rich, and had many priceless things inside their home, some of them rightfully his. Normally, he'd inherit everything, but since they'd disowned him, what would become of their wealth? He had no. He really didn't care about the money, he honestly wanted no part of their riches, but he would like his own things back, the things his original parents had given him.

It didn't matter. He couldn't find it in himself to care about that or anything else at the moment. All he could think about, was how sad Raynare looked when he'd looked at her. She'd been guilty, that was for sure, but he still didn't know how to feel about this whole thing.

Regardless of that, he was sure of one thing.

He still loved her, no matter what.

Issei sighed. The sun had sunk lower in the sky without him realizing. He must've laid there for far longer than he thought, just thinking about things.

Issei stood up, shaking himself off. He'd let Raynare worry long enough. Issei looked around, and he slowly realized that he had no idea where to go. He didn't have time to think about that for long, though. A voice made itself known from somewhere in the trees behind him. It was one Issei knew all too well, and it made his hairs stand on end.

"Well, well. Look who it is, huh?" Matsuda approached Issei, from deep in the brush. Issei was immediately on the defensive, but he was also preparing to run away at a moments notice. He was terrified of the one who'd tormented him for so long, and he'd momentarily forgotten his own power amidst his instinctual fear.

"Where's your little girlfriend, eh? Not here to protect you this time, shrimp." Matsuda said, drawing ever closer to Issei. For every step the bigger boy took towards him, Issei took one back. He wanted nothing to do with Matsuda. He remained quiet.

"What, cat got your tongue? Hey, do you know what happened after you got taken away in the ambulance?" The bully said, stopping. Issei shook his head.

"The cops came. Your bitch had tipped them off, and they came and arrested me. I almost got sent to juvy because of you! And now, you're gonna pay!" Matsuda yelled. He reached into the pocket of his pants, and pulled out a switchblade knife. Issei's eyes went wide.

Matsuda started walking towards Issei again, but said one more thing. That was his fatal mistake.

"After I kill you, I think I'll have some fun with that bimbo of yours. Nice tits she's got, huh?" Matsuda said, licking his lips.

 **[Boost!]**

Matsuda was rewarded for his idiocy with a swift gauntleted punch to the face.

Issei stood over a groaning Matsuda, Boosted Gear on his arm, and a snarl on his face. He was _pissed._

Let it be known, Issei Hyoudou had almost nothing, but he was a very territorial person. He only had a few sparse possessions, but the ones he did have, he'd treasure forever. Not only that, he'd protect them with his life. And what was his greatest treasure?

His Angel, naturally.

So, when some blockhead had not only insulted her, but threatened to rape her, what could he do but fight?

Matsuda swiped the knife at Issei's ankle from the ground, but Issei jumped back fast enough to avoid it. Matsuda used the opportunity to stand up. He spat blood out, and wiped his mouth. A nasty red welt was already appearing on the side of his face where Issei had landed a hit.

"What the hell was that, shrimp? Bah, I don't care! You're mine!" Matsuda yelled, and charged Issei.

 **[Boost!]**

Issei was ready for him. The Boosted Gear's power had already made him four times stronger and faster than he normally was, and so it looked like Matsuda was rushing at him in slow motion. Before Matsuda could even raise the knife to stab him, Issei threw a wild an untrained haymaker right in his face. It connected, hard, and Matsuda went flying backwards several feet.

"Stop this, Matsuda! You'll only lose worse the longer this fight goes on!" Issei yelled. He was high on both adrenaline and the power of the Boosted Gear, and restraining himself from decimating Matsuda was proving to be a difficult task. If the boy kept coming, Issei wasn't sure he'd be able to resist beating him mercilessly. He wanted to, that's for sure.

Matsuda got off the ground, groaning. He stood on unsteady feet, but still he dropped into a fighting stance and held the knife tight. Issei sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty.

 **[Boost!]**

Issei felt elated. He felt like he could punch a mountain to bits. He flexed his hands back and forth, admiring the ease with which he moved.

Matsuda, seeing Issei not even breaking a sweat, became enraged. He roared, and charged Issei again.

Issei looked up at the boy, who was moving even slower than before, and decided to end the fight quickly, before it went too far. As soon as Matsuda was within range, Issei grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and threw him full-force into a tree. He made a cracking noise when he hit the wood, and fell to the ground, unmoving. Issei felt a sudden impulse to boost again, and finish the job for good, but quickly fought it off. No matter what, he'd be the good guy. Otherwise, he was no better than the bullies.

Issei walked over to Matsuda, and checked his pulse. He was unconscious, but alive and breathing. So, Issei started to leave.

As soon as he did, however, a flutter of wings caught his attention. He looked up at the sky, and saw a flash of black before Raynare's hair filled his vision. She'd thrown herself at him, and he caught her in a tight hug. She was sobbing, hard, and he ran his hand through her hair.

"Issei! You idiot! Don't you ever run off like that again! I was so worried!" Raynare said in between sobs. She choked on some of the words, and found it hard to talk with her heart hammering in her throat. He held her tight, and put his hand on her head soothingly. Her wings were a cocoon for them, and all they saw was each other.

Instead of replying, Issei held her tighter, and let her cry into his shoulder. She gasped, and remembered what the situation had been earlier. She pulled herself off of Issei and started to apologize.

"Issei, I'm so sorry! I was just mad at them for the way they treated you, and for how they'd made your life so hard, and…" Raynare's vehement apology was silenced by Issei placing his index finger over her mouth in a 'shh' gesture.

He started talking. "Killing someone for being a bad parent is definitely too extreme. Not telling me about it, that's pretty awful too. But, you know what? I really don't care. I forgive you, Raynare." He said, and hugged her again.

Raynare's whole world stood still. He...he'd forgiven her? An immense weight suddenly lifted off of her shoulders, and it was like she could breathe again. She cried out in joy, and leapt up into Issei's arms. He caught her, bridal style, and she captured his lips with hers. They stayed like that for several seconds, not even stopping to breathe.

 **[Reset!]**

All the strength left Issei's body, and he fell to his knees with her in his arms. She was startled, but he refused to drop her, and with the last ounce of willpower he had, he set her back on her own feet before he completely collapsed. His face never hit the ground, however, as Raynare had already grabbed him. His Boosted Gear vanished, back inside his soul.

She lifted him to his feet, and he put his arm around her shoulders so he could walk better. She'd read up on the side effects of the Boosted Gear, so she knew exactly what the 'reset' meant. She withdrew her wings, and suddenly she saw the bully passed out under a tree, and she connected the dots. He'd attacked Issei, who'd been forced to defend himself and use the Boosted Gear for the first time. She was happy he'd held his own. This fight would make him more confident, or so she hoped.

They didn't say anything else, just enjoyed each other's company. Well, in Issei's case, he was probably too exhausted to use his mouth, but Raynare was just enjoyed his presence.

As they left the area, neither of them noticed Matsuda's eyes glowing.

They walked back to a main road together, and it wasn't long before Officer Yoshikage had them in his car, headed back to their apartment. They'd thanked him for gathering their things, and for driving them home. He gave them both his cell phone number in case they ever needed anything, and then he'd left.

Raynare carried all their (her) packages to the apartment, and Issei walked right beside her the whole way. When they finally got back inside, he'd collapsed in the bed. He'd already had plenty of sleep, so he wasn't really tired, but he was physically burned out. So, he and Raynare just laid in the bed together and watched whatever garbage they could find on TV, and ordered pizza directly to the room to eat. They spent the rest of the day in complete peace.

 **Leave a review if you liked it! If you found something wrong, or something you didn't like, shoot me a PM and we'll get it figured out! That's all, till next time!**


	8. First day of school

**I'm gonna talk about some junk before the chapter, so bear with me. I'm gonna do it in Q &A form, so hold on to your hat...**

 **Q: Why did the last couple chapters take so long to post? A: Well, truth be told, I've been extremely busy lately. I won't explain why, but there's a lot going on right now and I haven't had just a whole lot of time for writing. Sorry about any waits that occur, and I'll try to have a new chapter out weekly if not sooner.**

 **Q: Why is there so many errors in this chapter? A: Because I wrote a large portion of this at 2:00am in the goddamn morning and I have no one to proofread it. There will be errors** ** _galore._**

 **Q; Did you discontinue Just a guy with horns? A: Yes. I did. The explanation is on the last chapter of that story, if you're** **interested** **.**

 **Q: Is [blank] going to happen? A: Don't ask me for spoilers. Why would I give out spoilers?**

 **Anyway, that's about it. I started that with way more in mind, but forgot most of it mid-typing. Whatever. If you have a question, shoot me a PM or leave a review, and thanks for reading!**

When Raynare opened her eyes, she wasn't greeted with the familiar sight of Issei's brown hair, like she expected. She was alone on their bed, and she quickly sat up to take stock of the situation. She looked around, scanning the room for any sign of her beloved. It was early in the morning, and the sun was dawning over the horizon, making for a gorgeous view out of their apartment.

Raynare stood up, and left the room. She entered the main room, and was relieved to see her boyfriend in the kitchen, wearing a white apron over his pajamas and standing over the stove, cooking something in a pan. He hadn't noticed her, and she decided to mess with him. She quietly approached him, and because he was too preoccupied with cooking and humming a tune, he didn't hear the soft patter of her feet on the tile floor. He didn't notice her at all until she threw her arms around him from behind, startling the life out of him.

Issei practically jumped out of his skin, but quickly calmed down once he realized who it was hugging him. Raynare laughed at his reaction, and buried her face in the small of his back. He kept cooking and humming, but he now sported a large smile on his face.

"Good morning, Ray. Sleep well?" Issei asked, glancing back at her. She kept her face in his back, but answered through the fabric of his soft pajama shirt.

"Of course. How early did you get up?" She asked, curious.

"Only a few minutes ago. I would have woken you up, but you looked so cute asleep, I couldn't do it." Issei said. He didn't hesitate or stutter, but he started blushing. Raynare blushed heavily too, but he couldn't see her face, so she didn't worry about it. She squeezed him tighter.

' _He's too sweet!'_ Raynare squealed in her mind. Every girl loves being called cute by the one they love, no matter what. Raynare was hardly an exception, so when Issei called her cute, without even knowing what he did, he'd already made her day.

"What are you making?" Raynare asked, peeking out from behind him.

"An American breakfast. Bacon, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and ham. Apparently people in the western hemisphere eat this stuff up, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I hope you like it." Issei said, refocusing on the food in front of him. The bacon was already finished, steaming on a plate near the stove, and the ham and eggs were cooking in the bacon grease. He had the hashbrowns cooking in another skillet, set away from everything else.

"I didn't know you could cook, Issei. This is all very nice." Raynare said, stepping out from behind him and looking closer at the stove. Everything there looked professionally made. Well- as professional as eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and ham can get. Nevertheless, Raynare was impressed.

"Yeah, I pretty much had to provide for myself while I lived with my step parents, so I got pretty good at cooking and cleaning and stuff like that." Issei said, rubbing the back of his head. He turned off the stove, and moved the food onto serving plates. Raynare helped him set their dining table, and they both sat down to eat.

They ate in relative silence, both content to simply sit in each other's presence. Raynare would've made a move, but figured Issei couldn't handle the 'say ah' maneuver. Issei wanted to make a move, but didn't know the first thing about how to do something like that. So, they both just sat next to each other and ate.

"That was good! I'm happy you can cook, Issei. I sure can't." Raynare said, leaning back in her chair, finished. Issei finished at the same time, and wiped his mouth off.

"Thanks. I bet you aren't that bad of a cook, right?" Issei said, looking at her with a renewed curiosity. He'd only seen bad food a handful of times, and to him, it seemed trivial to prepare a good meal. He assumed Raynare would be a good cook.

"I'm terrible. I once set a cup of ramen on fire, if that tells you anything." Raynare said, putting her head down in sadness.

"How do you even do that?" Issei asked, genuinely curious. How could someone be such a bad cook that they burn what is quite possibly the simplest meal on the planet? It didn't seem possible.

"I forgot to add water." Raynare said quietly. Issei started laughing. He laughed a genuine laugh, straight from his heart, and Raynare soon found herself joining in, despite her being the butt of their joke.

After they both calmed down, Issei went to start washing the dishes while Raynare sat and watched him from her chair with one eyebrow raised. Issei noticed her staring at him weird, and asked her what was wrong.

"Is there something on my face?" Issei asked, checking his cheeks.

Raynare giggled. "No, sweetie. I just can't figure out why you're washing the dishes when I can just do this." Raynare said, and then snapped her fingers. A green magic circle appeared above the stack of dishes they had. All at once, each individual dish began to to clean itself and then they all put themselves away. Issei watched, amazed.

"That's so cool! Can I learn magic like that?" Issei asked, looking to Raynare in awe. She grinned, and fanned herself with her hand, like an old timey noblewoman.

"I suppose~. What's in it for me?" She asked, making seductive squinty eyes at Issei. He gulped.

"I, uh...my heart?" Issei asked, half joking. Raynare's grin fell off her face, replaced by a open mouthed stare. Had he really just said that? A blush filled her cheeks as she tried to recover her facial expression. Issei didn't know what he said, but apparently it was the right answer. He mentally high-fived himself.

"I'll t-take it. Now, shouldn't we get ready for school?" She asked, trying to change the subject. "I'll give you a magic lesson later." She added, seeing his face fall. Issei lit up at that, and nodded quickly.

Issei went into their room, got his school clothes, and went into the bathroom to change. Raynare changed in the bedroom, and knocked on the door when it was safe for him to come outside. He left the bathroom, and was greeted by the sight of Raynare now wearing the same greem and red uniform as him. The girl version, of course.

They both went back into the main room and sat down on a couch, waiting. They'd woken up too early to just go right to school, so they had a little spare time.

A knock on the door grabbed their attention. Raynare quickly stood up and backed away while Issei slowly approached the door. He opened it, and on the other side stood Azazel, looking as comfortable as ever in his suit.

Issei breathed out a sigh of relief, and stepped out of Azazel's way so he could enter the house. Raynare made a 'phew' noise and approached them both. Azazel waved at the two of them, and walked inside.

"What's up, Azazel? Why so early?" Issei asked. Raynare nodded, echoing his question.

"Well, I wanted to come congratulate the two of you." The Governor said, smirking. Raynare cocked an eyebrow and Issei tilted his head, suspicious. Azazel put his hands behind his back, like he was hiding something.

"What's the occasion?" Raynare asked, wary.

"You've both been accepted to the most prestigious school in town, Kuoh academy!" Azazel said, holding up two black and white uniforms that hadn't been in his hands a few seconds before.

Issei's mouth dropped open. He'd wanted to go to Kuoh, but his step parents hadn't let him. The tuition was far more expensive, and they didn't consider him worth the trouble. Raynare wasn't that surprised. She could've gotten them both in if she'd wanted to, but hadn't even thought about it. She was more interested to know why Azazel went through the trouble of getting them in.

While Issei rushed forward to take his uniform from the man, Raynare hung back. "Why?" She asked, eyeing the Governor General suspiciously. Azazel didn't seem like the kind of person to randomly do a kind deed unless it was beneficial to him.

Azazel looked at her. Issei heard her question, and stepped back from Azazel. He hadn't even considered that this could be some kind of ploy. He waited nervously for Azazel's answer to Raynare.

Azazel sighed. "I should've known you'd be sharper than that. You caught me. I do need a favor from both of you, and it does involve you going to Kuoh." Azazel said, tossing Raynare her uniform. She caught it one handed, and pointed at him accusingly with the other.

"Just what is this favor, exactly?" Raynare said. Issei examined his uniform closely, making sure nothing was odd about it.

"That requires a bit of explanation on my part. Okay, listen close. There's two Pillar Heiress devils going to Kuoh academy. Befriending them could be instrumental to achieving peace, so I'd like both of you to infiltrate the school and get good with them. Cool?" Azazel spoke fast, leaving no room for discussion or questions. All of it flew over Issei's head.

' _Devils are real too? Wait, is that what he was talking about when he said my ring could control devils? That's crazy!'_ [You know Angels and Dragons are real, and you didn't think Devils were? Use that brain of yours, partner.] Ddraig and Issei conversed within his mind, while Issei was reeling from the revelation that yet another supernatural race shared the world with him.

"That's...less than I expected." Raynare said, considering. What he described seemed far too easy to warrant Azazel coming to their house himself and admitting them to a nice school. Though, if that was really all he wanted, she wouldn't make a fuss about it. Issei obviously wanted to go to the school, and if all she had to do was play nice with some devils, she'd tolerate it for him. How hard could it be, right?

"What, you don't trust me?" Azazel asked, scoffing. Issei glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. Truthfully, he liked the Governor, but was still a little miffed at his threat to Raynare last time they spoke.

"About as far as I can throw you..." Issei said, mumbling. He hadn't meant for Azazel to hear him, but of course the Fallen did.

"Is that before or after boosting? There's a big difference." Azazel said, a grin on his face.

Issei blanched. Oops. He'd heard. The boy turned away, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Raynare jumped in.

"So is that really it? All you want us to do is make friends with the devils at Kuoh? That's it? No strings attached?" Raynare asked. Azazel sighed.

"Well, there is one other bit. The two girls are Pillar Heiresses, like I said earlier, but I didn't mention what Pillars. One of them is Rias Gremory, and the other is Sona Sitri." Azazel said slowly, looking away from Raynare's penetrating stare. She glared at him.

"That's a minor tidbit. So, these girls are only the _sisters of the rulers of Hell, that's all?_ " Raynare said through gritted teeth. She knew there was more to it then just being friends with a couple of random devils.

Rias Gremory is the heiress to the Gremory Pillar, and sister to Sirzechs Lucifer, current Satan Lucifer of the underworld. Sona Sitri is the Heiress to the Sitri Pillar, and sister to Serafall Leviathan, current Satan Leviathan of the underworld. They were by no means just some random Pillar devils. Getting close to the two of them would be _dangerous_ , and not just a little. Raynare wasn't thrilled at the prospect of going to school with what should be two of her most dangerous enemies, but she did understand how it could lead to peace. What she _didn't_ understand is why Issei needed to be friends with the devils. He wasn't affiliated with any of the three factions, and peace didn't really matter for him.

"You got it. So, I expect the two of you attend Kuoh this morning instead of your other school, whatever it's called. Any questions?" Azazel asked.

Issei raised his hand.

"Issei, we're in your house talking face-to-face and I just asked you if you had questions. You don't have to raise your hand, is what I'm saying." Azazel said, facepalming.

Issei put his hand down, and asked his question. "Why do I need to be friends with the devils? Aren't they bad?" Issei asked, unsure.

"Was I wrong to assume you were associated with our faction?" Azazel asked, tilting his head. Raynare looked to Issei. She was also curious of his answer.

"Oh. I guess not... I didn't even think about that, honestly. No, I'm definitely on whatever side Raynare's on. That's for sure." Issei said with a serious expression on his face.

Raynare's heart fluttered in her chest. Did he even realize what he did to her? Probably not. She hid her smile and fought off her blush while Azazel gave her a knowing smirk.

"Well, that's good. No, but even if you weren't an honorary member of the Fallen Angel faction, you are the Red Dragon Emperor, and that makes you a faction all your own, basically. Yours is arguably one of the most important dispositions. If you were against peace, it would be well within your power to keep the war going. So, it'd be a good idea to build good relationships with the Devil faction, is all I'm saying. Any more questions?" Azazel said, and looked between Issei and Raynare, who both shook their heads. He'd just explained her only question to Issei, so she had nothing else to ask.

"Well then, I'll be going. School starts in a half hour, so you two better be there on time. I'll see you later." Azazel said, and they waved him out. Issei closed the door behind him, and looked at his new uniform.

"This is awesome..." He breathed out. Kuoh was definitely a step above his current school, and he was more than happy to attend. Also, getting away from Matsuda would be _excellent._

Raynare was mildly ticked. She'd gone through all the trouble of hypnotizing her way into Issei's school, only for Azazel to come and wreck things. She was happy that Issei would get to go to a better school, sure, but that didn't stop her from being annoyed with the Governor General. Not to mention, they had to befriend the little sisters of two of the most powerful beings on the planet. Raynare was frustrated, to say the least.

"I guess I'll go change, then." Issei said, and took his new uniform back into the bathroom. Raynare took a closer look at the two pieces of clothing Azazel had thrown her. It was a white shirt with an attached black corset and cape, and a maroon skirt. The skirt was scandalously short, but she didn't really mind, since Issei would be there. Raynare passed Issei, and went into the bathroom to change.

Once they were both changed, Issei locked up the apartment and they left together. Issei didn't really know how to get to Kuoh, but Raynare told him it was easy, and then grabbed his hand. A green magic circle appeared below them and teleported the pair to an alley right by Kuoh Academy.

"That's too awesome…" Issei said, amazed. He'd only ever been teleported twice and it blew his mind when it happened. He turned to Raynare. "You've seriously gotta teach me how to do that." Issei said, coming close to her face. Raynare turned her head away.

"Oh, I don't know...it's pretty ha~rd..." Raynare said teasingly, and trailed off. He grabbed her hands, and held them in his. He had an excited look in his eyes, and Raynare couldn't find it in herself to look away from him.

"I'll figure it out. I bet you'd be a good teacher. Come on, show me how to use magic!" Issei said, holding her hands to his chest. She blushed and looked away from him.

"I suppose I could give you a lesson after school…" She said. He let go of her hands, and she immediately missed his warmth.

"All right!" Issei yelled, and pumped his fist in the air.

Raynare was content. That was one of the only times she'd seen him express happiness, and she liked how he looked smiling. She thought about how he'd been not a week ago, so sad he could hardly stand it. Raynare couldn't bear to see him so depressed, and she was beyond glad their relationship was having a positive effect on him.

They left the alley and walked onto a nearby sidewalk. Issei looked around in mild awe. The part of town they were in was very nice, and they day was gorgeous. Raynare wasn't as impressed, but she was happy that he was happy. As Kuoh Academy came into view, Issei was mystified. The school was far larger than any he'd seen. It had three stories, windows all over, and several building separate from the school itself. It was more of a little town than a school, really.

The school had an ornate brick gate, and as Raynare and Issei when through it, they began to hear whispers of gossip from all of the other students pooling in. Raynare didn't particularly care about any of it, but Issei was another story. He listened intently to every scrap of conversation he could hear.

" _Who is that girl? She rivals Rias and Akeno in beauty!"_

" _Are they a couple? I'm jealous of him!"_

" _Forget the girl, who's the guy with her?"_

" _I've never seen him before, he's cute."_

" _I wish I was her."_

" _What's with that huge ring? I've never seen anything like it!"_

" _Are they hitched?"_

" _I ship it!"_

Issei wasn't really sure who they were talking about. As for the girl the whispers mentioned, he assumed it was Raynare. But who's the guy they were talking about? Issei looked left and right, but he couldn't figure out what cute guy was around.

' _Does he not know they're talking about him? He doesn't even realize how cute he is, does he?'_ Raynare thought. She grabbed his arm and pressed herself into him so all the girls would know he was taken. She heard several huffs and one yell of disagreement, but Issei didn't seem to notice. He was too busy blushing while also simultaneously trying to avoid the death stare all the guys were shooting him.

Unbeknownst to the pair, a gorgeous girl with crimson red hair and piercing blue-green eyes watched them from the second floor balcony on top of one of the many building dotting the campus. Beside her, stood her best friend, a fair and beautiful black haired girl.

"Who are those two, Akeno?" Rias Gremory asked her Queen, curious. The girl answered after a moment of thought.

"I'm not entirely sure, actually. The boy is Issei Hyoudou, the girl is Yuuma Amano. That's all I know about either of them, other than the fact they're both second years." Akeno Himejima replied.

"I've got an odd feeling about one of them. I think he's got a sacred gear." Rias said, staring at the boy from afar. She was too far away to feel their auras or anything like that; she'd need to be far closer to detect their actual power and species.

The girl, Yuuma, was pressing herself against him. If Rias had to guess, it was to drive off other potential suitors. She felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted to love someone like that, but alas, she was stuck in her arranged marriage.

"Akeno, tell Koneko to keep an eye on them after school." Rias said, not looking away from the pair. Akeno nodded, and left the room.

"Maybe you can help me…" Rias mumbled to herself.

Back inside the school, Issei was having a bit of an issue. He attempted to go to class, only to find out...he had no idea where his classes were or even which classes he had. Neither did Raynare. So, they both took a trip down to the student council office, to speak with the president. Issei knocked on the door, and the two waited outside for someone to answer.

A short-ish girl with glasses and _very_ long black hair answered the door. Raynare was instantly wondering how and why she had her hair so long. Surely it had to get annoying?

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking at the two of them. Her eyes darted to Issei's ring, but she didn't visibly react to it other than acknowledging it was there. Issei started to say something, but was quickly cut off by Raynare.

"Yes, absolutely. We just transferred here, and we don't know where to go or anything. Could you give us a hand?" Raynare asked, putting on her best 'clueless' attitude. Issei followed her lead.

"Yeah, we really don't know where to go…" Though, he wasn't nearly as good at lying as she was.

The long hair girl looked back and forth between the two of them, and then down at Issei's ring. A brief look of surprise crossed her face, and then was instantly replaced with stoicism.

"Of course. Come right in." She said, and ushered the two inside the council office, closing the door behind them.

Issei and Raynare walked in slowly, looking all around. A girl with a bob cut and glasses sat at a desk. A metronome ticked back and forth in front of her, instantly annoying Raynare. Issei didn't mind.

The room itself was a large one, with navy paneled walls and a large round table at the very center. The only people inside were the door girl, the desk girl, Issei, and Raynare.

"What can I help you two with? No, actually, before that, I have some questions for the two of you." The girl at the desk said, her head resting on her folded hands. Her mouth was hidden behind her hands, and when she talked, there was an accusing edge to her voice.

"What is a Fallen Angel and the holder of a holy relic doing in my school?" The girl said, not bothering to mince words. No one became hostile, but Raynare and Issei were instantly on edge.

"How did you know?" Issei said, wondering. He knew next to nothing of the supernatural world, and was eager to absorb any information he could.

"Well, as for your holy relic, I can feel it's aura from all the way over here. As for the Fallen Angel, she didn't bother to hide her presence, so the whole supernatural population probably knows she's here."

Raynare winced. ' _Oops.'_

"Well, we aren't here to start trouble, if that's what you're wondering. We just wanted to know how to get to class…" Issei said, rubbing his head. The girl behind the desk stared at him from behind the lenses of her highly reflective glasses, sending chills down his spine.

"...I believe you. Very well. I'll tell you everything you need to know, in exchange for some information. And I don't just mean about how to get to class. You're obviously new to the supernatural world, so I believe we are in a position to be mutually beneficial to one another. So, information for information. Deal?" The girl behind the desk asked, unmoving.

Raynare finally spoke up. "Deal. So, who are you?" She asked, not wanting to waste time. They'd already be late to class, and on their first day no less. She frankly couldn't care less, but she knew it would reflect badly on Issei.

"My name is Sona Sitri, president of the student council and heir to the Sitri Pillar. The person who let you in is Tsubaki Shinra, my friend and queen." She said, gesturing behind them to where the girl stood.

' _Queen? Does she swing that way? Huh, gotta keep her away from Raynare..."_ Issei thought to himself. Ddraig sighed inside Issei's mind. [Issei, Queen has an entirely different meaning to devils. She's something akin to a general for Sona. Someone really needs to just sit down and explain everything to you within the near future…] Ddraig trailed off, slightly worried for his newest partner's lack of knowledge.

"So, who are the two of you? Honest answers, please. I've no time for liars."

Raynare and Issei shared a glance, and they were both thinking of the same questions. Should they tell her everything? Would she be an ally, or an enemy? She was one of the people they were supposed to befriend, after all. Raynare spoke first.

"Azazel sent us here to try and foster good relations with the devils of this school. He wants us to be a step towards peace." She said. She certainly wasn't about to lie on Azazel's part, not when he'd tossed them into the lion's den. Raynare also had a hunch that if she _had_ lied, Sona would've caught it immediately.

Sona nodded. "That's good, but I'd already guessed that much. What I meant was, who are you two specifically?" Sona said, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm a Fallen Angel, and he's a human sacred gear user." Raynare answered before Issei had a chance to. She did _not_ want the devils to know he was not only the Red Dragon, but he was also unclaimed by a faction. He'd be like a piece of candy to them. A delicious, unowned, _powerful_ piece of candy.

"What sacred gear, exactly?" Sona said, unflinching. She knew the Fallen was trying to hide something, and she wanted to know what.

Raynare flinched. Of course she'd want to know which one.

Issei didn't know why she'd want to hide his sacred gear, but he knew to follow her lead.

"W-we'd like to keep some things secret, if at all p-possible." He tried to be diplomatic about it, but lying was never his strong suit. Even if he wasn't outright lying, he was avoiding telling the truth, and he lost his cool.

Sona sighed. "I suppose that's to be expected. I've only got one more question: why in the world would you bring that ring here? Do you have a death wish?" Sona asked, her face showing a flash of confusion for a moment before returning to complete stoicism.

Issei looked at his ring, suddenly remembering the words of Azazel. Of _course_ he shouldn't have brought it. If it really did what the Governor General said it did, it'd be like a weapon of mass destruction to the devils. And with two devils as high ranking as this, it would be paramount to declaring war to bring the ring here. Issei felt like an idiot.

He quickly took off the ring and pocketed it, a sheepish expression on his face. "You might not believe me, but I totally forgot it was there…" He said, fidgeting with his hands.

Sona stared at him hard. "Ok, fine. There's still a lot of blanks I need to fill, but I think you're both relatively safe, and I agree with building peace. So, I'll let you say, and give you your schedules and such. And, a word of advice…" She said, and stood up from her desk. Tsubaki walked to her from her place behind Issei and Raynare, and handed her a few papers. Sona looked over the papers briefly, nodded, and then handed them to Raynare.

"...next time you walk into enemy territory, do it better than that. There's so many different ways you could've just started a war. Anyway, that's everything the two of you need at the moment. Let me know if you need anything else, and be on your best behavior while you're here." She said, and gestured to the door. Issei was reminded of his step mother, but quickly dismissed the notion.

Issei and Raynare left, and waved to the devils on their way out of the student council office.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Raynare let out a heavy sigh. Issei looked at her, puzzled. "Let's go to class." She said, smiling and holding up the papers Sona gave her.

Issei wondered what the sigh was for, but didn't question her on it. She was probably relieved it was over, just like him. She held the papers up, and they both read them. They had each class together, all throughout the day, which made both of them very happy. Raynare briefly wondered if someone had done that on purpose, but she doubted it. Just the luck of the draw, she guessed.

They both walked to their first class of the day. When they got to the door, Issei knocked on it. A teacher came out to greet them. The teacher was a short, stocky old man, with glasses, a brown corduroy jacket, and a comb over. A short explanation later, and he was ushering them inside to be introduced to the class. He had a kind look on his face, and seemed excited by the prospect of teaching new students.

As Issei and Raynare entered the room, they were immediately greeted by the hungry stares of 20-ish teens, all eager to have some information on the school's favorite new gossip trend, the New Couple. 'New Couple' is what they'd taken to calling the pair of new students, since no one knew Issei and Raynare's names yet.

"Well, class, looks like we have two transfer students joining us from now on! Well, go ahead and introduce yourself!" The teacher said, light-heartedly. Issei already liked the man, even though he'd only known him for a couple of minutes.

Raynare went first, naturally. Her inborn confidence far outweighed Issei's, growing though it was, and she went first after he shyly looked at her.

"My name is Yuuma Amano! This is my super shy, super cute, super _off-limits_ boyfriend, Issei Hyoudou!" She said cheerfully, but with a noticeable edge to her voice at the last bit. The girls in the class, who'd been eagerly eyeing Issei, backed off at her introduction.

Issei blushed and freaked out a little when she introduced him alongside herself. He hadn't wanted to go first, sure, but he also hadn't wanted her to do it for him. He also didn't expect her to introduced him as her boyfriend. That little tidbit had the boys in the class glaring at him, like he was the only thing between them and Raynare. The thought made him want to laugh. She'd rip them to shreds if they ever tried to come between he and Raynare. He gave a little wave to the class. A couple of the braver girls eagerly returned it, earning them a glare from Raynare.

"Thank you Miss Yuuma. Issei, I hope you can warm up to us eventually! Alright, there's two open seats right over there, so let's get back to it!" The teacher said enthusiastically, pumping his fist. Issei and Raynare sat at the seats he gestured to, both near a window, one in front of the other. Raynare sat behind Issei, if only so she could pick on him during class.

They hadn't been in class for fifteen minutes before Raynare was already bored. She'd taken to drawing circles on Issei's back with her finger, and while it distracted him from paying attention, he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it.

Twenty five minutes in, and she had her head in his back, snoozing away. They sat at the very back of the room, so only a few students could see Issei's frenzied blush as his girlfriend slept on him. The ones that did, were a couple boys that shot him a thumbs up. He looked away from them, and tried to focus.

Forty five minutes in, she'd woken up and was still bored out of her mind. So, she decided to have a little fun. She licked the tip of her index finger, and plunged it into Issei's ear. The boy jumped like crazy, though he didn't get completely out of his desk, and somehow he managed to avoid drawing attention. He turned back to look at her, with an frustrated-yet-happy expression on his red face, and she blew him a kiss. He sighed, smiled, and turned back around to focus on the class.

Seven hours of boredom and mischief later, and the two were walking home.

"That was so boring!" Raynare yelled into the air, now that they were well away from the school. Issei chuckled. He scratched his cheek with his free hand, his other firmly in Raynare's grasp.

"I think you enjoyed it." Issei said.

"Hmph. I did enjoy one part. Leaving!" She said, giggling.

"I knew it. You had fun, didn't you? Admit it. You had a fantastic time distracting me from classes all day." Issei said, poking her stomach.

She laughed. He was being surprisingly forward today, not that she minded at all. "Maybe a little…" Raynare said, trailing off.

They continued talking and laughing and flirting all the way home, because it was a pretty day and neither of them felt like wasting it by teleporting instantly back to the apartment. If they knew someone was following them, they just might have.

Koneko Toujou, Rias' rook and the school's first year mascot, trailed the two from nearby bushes. Every time they walked a certain distance ahead of her, she jumped to a new bush or tree. Luckily, the path they followed seemed ripe with vegetation, so she stayed completely undetected. She wasn't close enough to tell whether or not they were of a different species, but she definitely felt a holy aura.

' _It's probably a sacred gear.'_ Koneko mused to herself. She decided she'd had enough of traipsing around in bushed, and went to report back to Rias. One or both of them was a sacred gear user.

Once Issei and Raynare got home, they both flopped on to their bed.

"So, how about that magic lesson?" Issei asked, looking at Raynare with excited eyes. She laughed a little.

"Oh, I guess we can do some of the basics…" She said in a teasing voice.

 _ **{Twenty minutes, one failed magic lesson, and one misfired spell later}**_

"No, I'm sure it's an easy fix…" Issei said.

"I mean, I guess. I don't know how to replace a gigantic window, myself." Raynare replied.

Issei sighed. "Me either. Lisa Lisa?" He asked.

Raynare sighed too. "Lisa Lisa."

 **That's all for now. Leave a review if you liked it, shoot me a PM if you didn't.**

 **PS. I went skydiving last weekend. Anyone ever been skydiving? Coolest thing ever, I'd definitely recommend it.**

 **P.S.S. I also got to see Infinity War on last Thursday, opening night. Also the coolest thing ever.**

 **P.S.S.S. Zero Two is best girl.**

 **Okay, I'm done now.**


	9. It's a secret

**PLEASE READ: THIS IS A SINGLE PAIRING STORY BETWEEN ISSEI AND RAYNARE. Phew, glad that's out of the way. I'm pretty sure I've said that like eight times, but still I get PM's and reviews asking if this is a single pairing story. Yes, it is. It will stay that way, so don't freak out.**

 **Anyway, that's all I needed to say, other than sorry for the wait. I've been busy. Wait, no that's not it.**

 **This chapter will contain errors and such, because despite my searching, I** ** _still_** **have no one to proofread my stories. Oh well. Alright, that's all I needed to say.**

 **Okay, open the game! (Jojo** **reference** **? Yes.) Read and Review!**

"You _already_ broke something? Well, that's fine, I expected the two of you to have burned the place down by now, if I'm being honest. So, what's the amazing story?" Lisa Lisa asked, a grin on her worn face.

Raynare and Issei fidgeted. Neither spoke. They hadn't gone over a story beforehand, and Lisa Lisa arrived far faster than they'd expected. They didn't really know what to say, and they obviously couldn't say Issei blew a hole in it with magic.

Lisa Lisa pursed her lips. "Hm, no one wants to talk, huh? That's fine. I'll just take a peek at the hole, and see what I can come up with. Sound good? Good." She said, smirking. Issei got the feeling she knew they were hiding something.

Lisa Lisa walked over to the large circular hole in the window, looking at it carefully. She examined it with all the careful deliberation of a practiced surgeon, which she was.

"A clean hole, no breaking. No glass on the ground, and the area around it is slightly singed. If it wasn't the size of a baseball, I'd say you shot it. It's almost like magic!" Raynare and Issei both turned a little pale, and shared a worried glance behind the woman's back. Was it possible she knew about magic? No, of course not. Did she?

"Well, I'm stumped. I'd like someone to tell me what happened, but it's not important. I'll send someone up within the hour to get in fixed, don't fret." Lisa Lisa said, turning back towards Issei and Raynare. They both sighed in relief. She raised an eyebrow at their behavior, but didn't press them.

"Thanks, Lisa Lisa. I'm really sorry about this…" Issei said, a little embarrassed. They hadn't even had the lavish penthouse for a week and he'd already broken a window.

She waved him off. "Bah, it's no big deal. Couple of young people like you, I'm surprised you haven't blown the place to smithereens yet. You've kept it remarkably clean and and filled it with nice things, both material and immaterial. What more could a home have?" Issei didn't really know what she meant. They had kept it clean, and they'd bought some neat stuff for the place, bought what in the world had she meant by "immaterial things?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raynare asked, mildly curious. She didn't really understand Lisa Lisa word's either.

"Well, a house isn't a home until it's filled with love, is it?" Lisa Lisa said, a large grin on her wrinkled face. Issei immediately found something on the other side of the room to look at, and Raynare fought down a blush.

"I g-guess not." Raynare said, looking down. She unconsciously reached for Issei's hand, and he grasped her fingers within his own.

"Ha! You two are adorable!" Lisa Lisa suddenly exclaimed, cackling. She moved past the two, towards the door. "Well, I'll be going now. Expect a repairman soon. Best of luck to the both of you." She opened the door, and put one foot out, about to leave. Before she did, she stopped and turned back to the two of them.

"A bit of advice, before I go. A little of my old woman's wisdom, if you will. This is for both of you, so listen up! Be careful who you trust, hm? Not everyone has the best intentions all the time. Never know when someone might try to use you as a _pawn_. Maybe even someone at that new school you two are attending, Kuoh? Well, that's all. Bye now!" Lisa Lisa stepped out and closed the door.

"Hey, Issei." Raynare said quietly after a few seconds. He turned towards her. "How did she know we went to Kuoh?" She said, suspicious. Issei thought about it. No one told her. She shouldn't have known, but she did. Extremely odd.

"I don't know, actually. Maybe it's in her medical database, or something like that?" Issei suggested.

"I guess so…" ' _That woman, I swear, sometimes I think she knows everything.'_ Raynare thought. Some of the things Lisa Lisa said and did were very suspicious to her, and she began to wonder if she was a little more than a doctor. ' _Oh well. As long as she's an ally, it doesn't matter.'_

On her way down the hall, Lisa Lisa passed a tall teenage boy with a delinquent's clothes and bright silver hair. She stopped next to him, and he stood beside her. They faced different directions, and each had a hard face.

"If you go in there and cause trouble, Vali Lucifer, I'll eradicate you myself." Lisa Lisa said in a stern and cold voice, completely unlike her normal form of speech.

A look of hesitation and surprise crossed his features. The boy, Vali, thought about her words for a second, then replied. He recognized her.

"If you tell me that, I can hardly go against it, can I? Even I stand no chance against you right now." He said, and turned around. Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor, walked down the hall from where he came. Stopping at the end, he turned back and looked at her.

"But, soon enough...I'm be coming for you, and after that...I'll be coming for him." Vali said, and disappeared into motes of light.

Lisa Lisa sighed. ' _Get strong soon, Issei. I won't be able to protect you forever.'_

Back inside Issei and Raynare's penthouse, the two of them had found something to do. Issei was reading a book, and Raynare was trying her hardest to distract him.

He sat on the couch with his legs propped up, and she sat next to him, poking him in the sides and flipping the pages in his book and tussling his hair and whatever else she could think of to get his attention. He read with a grin on his face. He thoroughly enjoyed her doting, and though he held the book and looked at it, all his attention was on her. He couldn't read so much as a sentence with his Angel so close.

"Issei. Issei. Issei. Issei. Issei. Issei." Raynare repeated his name over and over again, accentuating each repetition with an increasingly hard poke to his stomach. He started to laugh, but still focused on his book. She started blowing air at him, making him scrunch up his face. He did notice how good her breath smelled, though. The thought struck him; he wanted to kiss her, a lot. He resisted the urge. Issei slowly and deliberately closed and put down his book on the coffee table, and turned to Raynare. He had a grin on his face.

"Raynare. Raynare. Raynare. Raynare. Raynare. Raynare!" He poked her in the stomach too, turning the tables on the Fallen Angel. On the last 'Raynare' Issei lunged at her, and started tickling her with all his might. Raynare collapsed into a laughing mess as her boyfried tickled her relentlessly. She tried to fight him off, but all she could muster was a light punch, not even enough to push him. The two of them were laughing like mad, and when Issei looked up, they'd both fallen off where they'd been sitting and had ended up on the floor between the couch and coffee table.

"I win." Issei said, sitting over her. Raynare had a few lingering giggles, and she breathed heavily beneath Issei. She was glad she'd gotten his attention, but he'd challenged her, and it meant _war_.

"Is...that...so…?" She breathed out, still feeling out of breath.

"Mmhm." Issei hummed, nodding.

"I beg to differ." Raynare said. She had an evil glint in her eyes, and Issei was wary. She sat up, and immediately jumped at Issei. She tickled him more than he had her, causing him to writhe and squirm under her fingers. He laughed so hard he couldn't breath, but Raynare didn't stop.

A minute or so later, a heavily-breathing Issei lay on the ground beneath a triumphant Raynare. She straddled him underneath her, preventing Issei from launching a counterattack. He would've been blushing at the position they were in, if not for the fact that he was facedown and completely out of breath.

"I'd say I win, hm?" Raynare said with a smirk, poking Issei's back. He laughed under her, and thumped his head against the floor.

"Yes ma'am." He said, his voice muffled by the floor.

"Good." She said, and stood up off of him. Issei picked himself up, still laughing a bit.

"I guess I should make something to eat?" Issei suggested, after he'd collected himself. He sat down on the couch.

"Hm...nope. Let's go out!" Raynare exclaimed, sitting next to him and putting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her.

"Sounds good to me. Where to?"

"I don't know. You've lived here way longer than me, you pick."

Issei put his head back, thinking. "I've got it."

Raynare looked at him expectantly after he didn't say anything else. "Are you gonna tell me or what?" She asked.

"Hm...nope. It's a surprise. I'll go make a reservation." Issei said. He flew off the couch and into their room, locking the door. Raynare, still on the couch, sighed. She looked at the coffee table, at what book Issei'd been reading. His copy of ' _How to be a good boyfriend'_ lay on it's side, one of the pages dog-eared to keep his place. Raynare smiled softly. He really was trying his best for her.

Issei came out of the room, a minute or two later. He wore a grin on his face. "We're golden." He said.

Raynare looked at him, and matched his grin. "You really won't tell your girlfriend where you're taking her?" She asked.

"It's a surprise." Issei said, his smile widening.

Raynare huffed good-naturedly. She still had a smile, but she was genuinely curious. She trusted him, though. He had good taste, if nothing else. "Fiiiine…" She said, sensing that he wouldn't relent.

The two of them settled back into doing random things around their house. Issei picked his book back up, and Raynare started fiddling with their TV, trying to set it up for movie streaming. About fifteen minutes later, someone knocked at their door. Issei opened it up, expecting a repairman, but was surprised when it was Officer Yoshikage instead.

"Good afternoon! Can I come in?" Yoshikage said, tipping his hat to Issei. Issei greeted him and led him inside, sitting with the man at their table/bar while Raynare made tea.

"Sorry to show up on such short notice, but you've still got a bit of business to take care of as far as your inheritance and such. I know you said your step parents disowned you, but they hadn't made it legal yet, so you're still their sole heir." The officer said, going slow to prevent confusion.

"Really? So, all their stuff is mine?" Issei asked, not using any tact. The comment made Yoshikage cringe inwardly. How terrible could his step parents have been to him to make him care so little about their deaths? Yoshikage didn't know the specifics, but they must've been awful.

Raynare brought Officer Yoshikage a cup of tea, and handed another to Issei. "Mm, thanks. Yes. They had roughly six-hundred million yen in savings, two houses, and other stuff, like furniture and objects. You'll have to talk to someone else to get the specifics, but you've just become a rich man. For now, anyway. Who knows how far that much money will go in today's economy?" Yoshikage said light heartedly.

Issei exhaled slowly, taking all the information in. He was happy that he got a chance to spit in the face of his step parents one last time. They'd made a mistake, and now he owned both their stuff and the stuff they'd taken from him. It made him glad, but also guilty for having such morbid thoughts.

"That's great news. Who do I need to talk to?" Issei asked the officer.

"There's a man ready to come up to the police station to explain it all to you, whenever you feel like it. Sooner rather than later, preferably." Officer Yoshikage explained.

"Well, we're actually expecting a repairman here pretty soon, and then we've got reservations at *******." Issei whispered the the last part into Yoshikage's ear, preventing Raynare from hearing it, much to her ire. The Officer's face lit up with surprise and then morphed into a smirk.

"Ooh. Fancy. Well then, how about tomorrow?" Officer Yoshikage asked, back in business mode.

Issei glanced at Raynare. She nodded. "Yeah, that should work. Tomorrow's Friday, so we'll be good to go after school's out."

"Great! Well, I'll tell the guy you'll be there tomorrow. He's patient, so it shouldn't be an issue."

Someone knocked on the door. Issei opened it, and a tall man in a gray shirt and blue jeans with a tool belt stood in the doorway. Issei shook the man's hand, and he introduced himself.

"Been told ya'got a window needs fixin'? I'm yer man. Name's Sadao, Sadao Yukaza. Good t' meet'cha." The man moved past Issei, who stood in the doorway with a dumbfounded expression. Yukaza, the man's last name...was the same as Matsuda's. Matsuda Yukaza.

This was Matsuda's father.

"Y-yeah, you too…" Issei breathed out, finally. Raynare and Yoshikage looked at him with a puzzled expression as he moved back into the penthouse. Sadao tipped his grey hat to the both of them as he moved over to the window. His gaze lingered on the Officer, but he didn't say anything.

Sadao whistled apprehensively as he approached the broken window slowly. "Ya really did a number on this one, huh? Well, there's a couple of options. One, I c'n jus tape it up, literally…" The repairman tapped a thick roll of clear tape at his belt. "Or, I can take out a section of glass and replace it. It'll be minute, but it'll look better than the tape. Whaddya think?"

"Tape, please." Issei said extremely fast. Raynare gave him an odd look. She was sensing his nervousness, and she was wondering way he was acting so strange. Who had they just let in their home? She was glad Officer Yoshikage had stuck around.

Officer Yoshikage was wary of the repairman. If he'd heard correctly, the guy was Sadao Yukaza, someone Yoshikage had dealt with on multiple occasions. He didn't look similar, but every time Yoshikage had seen him, he'd been in a convict's uniform, not a repairman's. He had a long history of beating his wife and son. At some point, he beat his wife to a point where his teenage son had stepped in and tried to fight him, leading to the boy being sent the hospital with severe injuries, and Sadao being arrested. Because of a legal loophole, he'd been able to avoid going to prison, but had still been removed from their house and put on probation. Yoshikage knew the guy was trouble.

"Uh, sure. Yer the boss. Be done in two shakes of a dog's tail." Issei sighed in relief. He wanted the man out as soon as possible. Sadao removed the tape from his belt and put a long strip on both sides of the window, slowly, so there wouldn't be air bubbles visible. Within a few minutes, he was finished. He stood up, looked at the window from a few different angles, and clapped his hands.

"Done n' done. S'that all, or was there something else?" Sadao asked, looking at Issei. Issei shook his head.

"Nope, that's all. Thanks for coming." Issei gestured towards the door. To someone else, it might've seemed rude, but due to Sadao's...upbringing, he didn't even notice. He moved to leave, but before he did, he gave Issei a comment.

"Ya know, you remind me of m'boy, Matsuda. Ya both got th'same fire in your eyes...hm. Well, good afternoon." Sadao stepped out, leaving the penthouse. Issei let out the breath he'd been holding, and Raynare finally understood why he'd been so tense. If that was Matsuda's dad, it was no small wonder he'd be a little nervous.

"Phew. Glad he didn't start any trouble." Officer Yoshikage said. "I would've left a minute ago, but I had a bad feeling about that guy, so I stayed put."

"What makes you say that? Who was he?" Raynare asked.

"That was Sadao Yukaza, like he said. He got sent to the pen for beating his wife and son nearly to death, but got out on a loophole. It's a real shame, that someone like him is walking around free when we've got innocent people doing time. Ah, sorry. Got distracted. Anyway, he got removed from his family and put on probation, so I was worried he might be a little volatile. I'm glad he didn't recognize me, otherwise he might not have been so nice." Yoshikage said, rubbing the brim of his police hat.

Issei was reeling. Matsuda was beat by his father? Issei suddenly understood the boy a lot better.

"That poor kid…" Raynare said, probing for information. She saw Issei's reaction, and knew of his history with the boy, and she wanted to fill in some blanks.

"Yeah, Sadao was beating up on the wife one time, and the kid, Matsuda if I remember right, stood up for her and tried to fight the father. He got hurt so bad he was sent to the hospital and we had to get involved. As if that wasn't enough, the Mother died of cancer a few months later. That kid definitely drew a short stick, that's for sure." Officer Yoshikage spoke solemnly, showing his concern for the boy.

Issei's head was spinning. Matsuda had gotten hurt trying to protect his mother? And then...she died? And his Dad not only wasn't around, but he was an abusive asshole? Issei felt like he wanted to hug the boy, despite his bullying. They were two peas in a pod, both dealt a bad hand by a world that didn't care.

"That's awful…" Issei said quietly, talking to himself more than anyone else.

"It is that, definitely. Well, I'd better be going. Call me tomorrow when you're ready and I'll give you two a ride over to the station to get everything settled. Goodbye!" Officer Yoshikage said cheerfully. He tipped his hat to the two of them and left, Issei and Raynare waving him out.

Issei sighed. He wasn't used to socializing with so many people in one day. Between his first day at school, the meeting with the Student Council President, and everyone after, he was mentally exhausted. He crossed the room and flopped down on the couch. He looked at Sadao's handiwork. The glass in the window was fixed, though it looked kind of raggedy.

Raynare sat next to Issei and fell over on his lap, laying across him. "Something on your mind?" She said, looking up at him.

"Who'd have known he'd have such a horrible life?" Issei said, talking to himself as much as Raynare.

"Matsuda? So what, you've had a hard life too." She said, not intending to forgive the boy for a thing. The time she watched him beat Issei mercilessly had been more than enough to make her hate him.

"Yeah, I know. But...still. I know how he feels. It's...tough, not having anyone in the world to lean on." Issei said. He was absentmindedly stroking Raynare's soft raven-black hair, and it felt good for both of them.

"That's no excuse for treating you so terribly! You've had a rough time, but you didn't start bullying people for no good reason, so why should he?" Raynare asked. She was honestly shocked Issei was even trying to defend Matsuda.

"He was different, though. My step-parents might have been awful people that deserved what they got, but they never once hit me. Matsuda didn't have that luxury. His birth father, the very person who brought him into the world, beat him and his mother. I can't imagine what kind of effect that'd have on someone." Issei said. Despite being treated so badly by Matsuda, Issei couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"...I guess you're right. I still don't forgive him, though. I mean come on, he tried to kill you, like, two days ago. Did you forget?" Raynare said. She understood where Issei was coming from, but she still didn't quite agree.

"No, it's definitely still fresh. Don't get me wrong, I still hate the guy, I just...get him a little more, I guess. I'd like nothing more than to bash his face in." Issei said, looking down to Raynare and smiling brightly. The words didn't match the smile, so to any normal person it would look kind of ridiculous, but as for the Fallen, she agreed wholeheartedly.

"That's more like it. Well, next time he tries to kill you, don't hold back, okay? And hit him once for me." She said.

"I doubt he'll try again. Not to toot my own horn, but I beat him pretty well, I think. I wouldn't know, actually, since that was my first fight…"

"Issei, you threw him into a tree. I think you won. But no, his kind of person definitely isn't done. He'll try something again soon, I know it. But, that's a problem for another day. Let's talk about something else." Raynare said, poking his chest with both of her pointer fingers.

"Anything in particular?"

"Oh, I know. Issei~." She said, in a tone that, to Issei, sounded like angels singing. Which, he guessed, it pretty much was. "You could tell me where we're going later…" She said, and reached up to fiddle with his hair from below him.

"I can't. It's a surprise. Telling would ruin it." He said, a smile on his face. She grinned. He was resolved. Issei was 100% sure she'd enjoy it, sure enough to not even tell her what _it_ was. She was happy he'd try so hard for her, even if it irked her not to know where they'd be going.

"Give me a hint…" Raynare said, in a pitiful but good-natured whine.

"A hint...hm. Okay. Here's the hint: it's a secret."

"Issei!"

 **Alright! Next chapter, Issei and Raynare's first real date! I might take some extra time to work on it, because I'm not great at writing dates. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review! Oh, and don't be afraid to send me a PM. As long as it's coherent and I can understand it, I** ** _will_** **answer. Try me.**

 **Bye!**


	10. A date this time

**Okay, this chapter turned out better than I expected. (I think...) It's Issei and Raynare's first date, complete with more fluff than anyone person should ever consume. Enjoy!**

Issei walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a black long sleeve button up and black pants. His hair was neater than normal, and he wore black dress shoes. As he stepped into his and Raynare's bedroom, his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Like what you see?" Raynare said, twirling around. Issei stared, unable to form words. Her beauty was stunning, and she left him breathless. She wore a long black dress, with black heels and a strap around her neck. The dress perfectly complemented her raven hair and violet eyes, and the combination blew Issei away.

Issei coughed, and looked away. "Y-yeah." Raynare huffed.

"Issei, you don't like it?" She said, teasing him. She could tell from a mile away he loved her outfit, but she wanted to mess with him.

"What?! N-no! I mean yes! I m-mean, I...ugh…" Issei stopped, putting his hands over his violently blushing face. He inhaled, and composed himself.

"Raynare, you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen." He said, looking her in the eyes. Raynare's plan to tease him backfired, as it was her turn to blush profusely. She turned away from him, and hid her face behind a small black purse that hadn't been in her hands a second ago.

"Wait, I can make it even better. Close your eyes." Issei asked. She looked back at him, and then did as instructed. She awaited him eagerly, not knowing what he'd do, but not really caring either. He could rip her out of the dress then and there, and she'd be fine with it.

Issei dug in his pocket for a second, and brought out what he wanted to give Raynare. Raynare felt Issei's hands touch her neck briefly, before she felt cold metal on her chest.

"Okay, you can look now." Issei said, stepping back. Raynare opened her eyes and looked down.

Around her neck, hanging from a bright silver chain, was a heart-shaped diamond with two silver angel wings forming a larger heart around the gem. She gasped.

"Issei, you didn't…" She breathed out, touching the precious necklace. A tear fell from her right eye, and she held the pendant tight in her hands.

"Raynare? Why are you crying? Do you not like it?" Issei's worried questions were silenced when Raynare threw herself around him, kissing him with all she had.

He was surprised for a moment, but soon returned the kiss. A few seconds later, Raynare pulled back. If they kept going, she'd do something that might interfere with their date.

"Where did you even get this? We've been together for the past several days, how did find the time?" Raynare asked Issei. She loved her new necklace, but she had no idea how he'd managed to acquire it.

"Well, while we were at the mall, I saw an advertisement for a 'guardian angel' necklace, and it was perfect for you. So, while you were staring really intensely at a dress, I slipped off and bought it. I'd been waiting for the perfect time to give it to you, and this seemed right." Issei explained. "Do you like it?" He asked.

Raynare cupped the necklace in her hands. She _did_ like it, a lot. What she liked more, though, was that Issei had not only bought her the perfect necklace, but delivered it in what had to be the most romantic way possible. Could she even ask for a better boyfriend?

"Issei, I love it. I'll treasure it forever." She said, and Issei tightly hugged her.

"I'm glad. We should get going though, our reservations are for eight." Issei said, pulling back and gesturing towards a clock that read seven-thirty.

"Okay, but...how are we getting there? Raynare asked, curious. If he asked, she'd teleport them, but after what he'd done already, she was positive he had something planned.

Issei glanced at the clock. "I've got it covered. He should be here…now. Well, um...are you ready?" Issei asked, holding out his hand for Raynare to take. She took it, and he led the out of their room and down the building, into the lobby.

As Raynare and Issei crossed the floor to the building's exit, she glanced at Issei's face. His smile could've lit up a room, and she couldn't help but feel happy too.

Two weeks ago, she was a Fallen Angel assassin, tasked with killing Issei before he became a threat. Now, she was just a normal girl, who couldn't possibly stand to be without her first love. Issei was her first, too. She'd dated before, sure; that's a given, considering she was created hundreds of years ago; but she'd never found a guy she liked, and she'd certainly never fallen in love. She once dated a man for 4 months, but in all that time, he never managed to steal her heart.

Then, along comes Issei, who does it in less than a week. She'd never in her life felt the way she feels with him. He makes everything she does meaningful, and gives her life a bright shining light at the center. If he ever left or got taken from her, well...there'd be hell to pay, for someone. No, she'd never be proper without him again.

Issei was the same. If for any reason Raynare left, his life would be done. The way he felt about it, his life was already over, before she stepped in. He owed everything to her, and he'd spend the rest of his life giving her his all. She was the last thing he had, and even now with all his wealth and possessions, he'd never had anything that compared to his angel.

But, they weren't focused on that right now. At the moment, Issei was focused on showing Raynare the best night ever.

As Issei led Raynare outside, he tried not to grin too hard. After Yoshikage left earlier, Issei had gotten a text from the officer, about Yoshikage's other job. Officer Yoshikage of the Kuoh Police Department has moonlight job: as a limo driver.

Raynare stepped outside behind Issei, and she gasped. "Issei…a limo?!" She practically squealed.

Officer Yoshikage, dressed in a tux but still wearing his police hat, waved at them from the front seat of a long black limo.

Issei smiled back at her, and she hugged him for what had to be the tenth time in an hour, not that he'd ever get tired of it.

After they pulled apart, Issei opened a door at the rear of the limo, and gestured for Raynare to get inside. She composed herself, and entered the limousine.

The interior was extremely luxurious, with black leather seats all around and bright blue lights keeping it all lit. Raynare sat down at one side, and Issei got in after her, closing the door. Yoshikage looked in his mirror to make sure they were settled, and took off. He already knew where they were headed, as Issei had told him earlier.

Raynare laid her head on Issei's shoulders. "Issei, can you tell me now?" She asked, hoping he'd finally spill the beans.

"Nope. It's a secret." Raynare huffed. She appreciated that he didn't want to spoil the surprise for her, but she also wished that he'd tell her. "We'll be there soon, so don't worry about it." Issei said, smiling at her.

"Ugh! Fine~..."

* * *

"Leave me alone, dammit!" Matsuda yelled as he walked through the alleys next to his ramshackle house. The recipient of his yelling, a small black dog, whimpered sadly. Matsuda sighed and rubbed his temples. He liked dogs, he just didn't like that this one kept following him, no matter what.

Ever since he'd woken up at the base of a tree yesterday, he'd been followed by the dog. It had erie red eyes and responded to everything Matsuda said, like it was intelligent. The one thing it _wouldn't_ respond to, though, was to stop following him. Matsuda had let it, at first, up until he'd woken up this morning to the dog sleeping at the foot of his bed. He hadn't even let the dog inside, and he was freaked out by the fact that it had just appeared in his house, so he tried to shoo the dog away. It wouldn't listen. It followed him all throughout his day, even at school. Though, no one else seemed to react to it, and Matsuda had started to wonder if he was going crazy.

So, he decided to spend some time in Kuoh town, and get some fresh air. It was just becoming dark outside, his favorite time of day. As he moved through alleyway after alleyway, his preferred method of travel, the dog kept following him. Matsuda wanted it to leave him alone, but he also didn't. He had no one left; his father, an abusive convict and his mother, dead. The dog, annoying as it was, was his only companion at the moment.

Matsuda stepped out of the alley, and onto a busy city street. People were everywhere, but no one seemed to react to Matsuda's animal friend. He looked down at the dog, who'd fallen a few steps behind.

"Just what the hell are you, huh?" Matsuda said, looking at the dog.

"Your greatest wish can come true!" A cheery voice caught Matsuda's attention, and a flyer was thrust into his face by a girl in a red dress with wild black hair. He took the flyer, more on instinct than anything, and shoved it into his pocket. He shoved past the rude girl, muttering to her about watching where she was going, and walked off down the street, dog in tow.

* * *

 **The limo pulled to a stop in the ritziest part of town, right in front of what was essentially a skyscraper. Raynare looked at the building, trying to figure out why they stopped. There were no visible signs or markings, other than several neon lights with no particular pattern.**

Issei looked up at the building alongside Raynare. She turned to him. "Is this the place?" She asked, not quite sure.

"Yep. We've gotta go all the way to the roof, that's our stop." Issei said. Yoshikage got out of the car, and opened the door nearest Issei for him to get out. Issei exited the car, then turned and extended his hand for Raynare, like a gentleman. She took it gratefully, and got out of the limousine. They held hands as they walked through the building's double automatic doors. Issei waved at Yoshikage, who waved back and reentered the limo.

As they entered the building, Raynare was slightly confused. Right on entry, it looked like garbage. She looked forward with some apprehension, though she followed Issei without hesitation. He had a knowing smirk on his face as he led her through the decrepit building by hand, stepping over garbage and wrecked furniture on their path. They passed a desk with no one in it, and a stairwell with an 'out of order' sign over the broken door. How a stairwell was out of order, Raynare had no idea, but she was getting a bad vibe from the whole place.

"Don't worry." Issei said briefly, offering her a reassuring smile. She gripped his hand a little tighter and returned his statement with a nervous smile of her own.

They approached what looked like a broken down elevator, but Issei pressed the button next to it without an ounce of confusion or hesitation. ' _He's been here before…'_ Raynare thought. Something was up, she guessed.

The elevator dinged once, and the door opened to reveal a lavish elevator with gilded white paneled walls and a white tile floor. Issei stepped on immediately, but Raynare walked on slowly, trying to figure out what was going on. After she entered the elevator and stood beside him, Issei pressed the only button the elevator had, a shining button that looked like a black gemstone, and they started to ascend quickly.

At this point, Raynare was understandably very confused. She'd shown up expecting a nice restaurant or something of that effect, and then they find a derelict skyscraper. _Then_ , as if that wasn't confusing enough, they open probably the nicest elevator in the world. She had no clue what was happening.

"Confused yet?" Issei asked, sensing how tense she was.

"Uh, yeah. What in the world is this place?" She said, gesturing with her free hand.

"It's secret. Don't worry, I was confused my first time too."

"Issei, that sounds _so_ sketchy."

"...I guess it does, doesn't it?"

"Just a bit."

The elevator came to a halt.

"Are you ready?" Issei asked, rubbing a circle on Raynare's hand. He looked giddy.

"I think so…" She said. His excitement was rubbing off on her, and despite not being aware of the situation, she was looking forward to what was on the other side of the elevator door.

"That's good." He said.

The door opened.

Raynare gasped, and Issei let out an excited laugh. "Welcome to Shangri-La!" He said cheesily.

On the other side of the door, was probably one of the nicest places Raynare had ever been.

On the roof of the building, there was a restaurant that catered to the richest of the rich. All around, there were padded leather seats, silk tablecloths, and waiters in fine clothes. People in suits and dresses conversed happily, and the sound of water flowing could be heard, coming from a large waterfall in the center of the roof. A string quartet played in one corner, and the music was soothing and upbeat. There were soft white lights, but the real light in the place came from the moon and stars, which were out in force.

Raynare realized what the nonsensical neon lights she'd seen earlier were for. From the angle on top of the roof, she could see the light reflected off a pond on the ground. The lights, in the water's reflection, spelled: Shangri-La. "Shangri-La? This is crazy…" She breathed out.

"Raynare~…hello, Raynare..." Issei snapped his fingers, and Raynare realized she'd been staring.

"Haha, sorry…" They stepped off of the elevator together, and were immediately approached by a waiter.

"Issei Hyoudou, table for two." Issei said, talking to the waiter.

The waiter nodded, and gestured for them to follow him. "Right this way, sir and madam."

Raynare followed close behind Issei as he himself followed the waiter. As they walked to a table, nearing the edge of the roof, several people waved to Issei. He waved back to all of them, and Raynare wondered how he knew them. She knew he was extremely shy, so these had to be people he'd known for a while for him to be so comfortable around them.

They stopped at a table right on the edge of the roof, looking out over the city. The waiter gestured to their table, set with candle and wine glasses and other fancy assortments. Issei pulled Raynare's chair out, and she sat down, thanking him. Issei sat down in his own seat, and pulled it in. The waiter left.

"Isn't he going to ask us what we want to drink?" Raynare asked, confused for the millionth time in the hour.

"Nope. They'll bring us water and some of the finest wine you've ever seen. You can request something else, but they probably only have stuff you've never heard of, like fancy imported sodas and things like that." Raynare nodded at Issei's explanation

"Wine is fine with me. It's probably my favorite drink." Raynare said, looking at the tall wine glasses on the table. There was four, total; two for each of them, one for red wine and the other for white wine. They also each had a smaller glass for water.

"I've never had it, since I'm underage. They don't really care here, but I've just never felt like drinking." Issei said.

Raynare faked a gasp. "Well, you've got to tonight! I can't believe you've never tried wine before! It's heavenly, no pun intended."

"Really? I-I'm not sure, I've never drank before...I don't want to get drunk and embarrass you or anything…" Issei said, nervous.

"Issei, you could never do anything to embarrass me. Well, that's not entirely true, but you couldn't do anything _here_ to embarrass me, especially if it means getting drunk. Come on, you've gotta try some wine. You can't bring me to a place like this and expect me to drink alone, Issei. It's not polite." Raynare said, smirking. She played the 'it's not polite' card, knowing Issei would care about something like that.

"I g-guess you're right…okay. I'll try some after we eat, I promise." Issei was _extremely_ nervous at the prospect of drinking. He'd never had any alcohol before, and he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. Issei always heard horrible stories of what happens to people when they get drunk, and he wasn't sure it was something he wanted to try, but if it meant making Raynare happy, he'd do it.

"Great! Now, what's good…?" Raynare said, picking up the menu on the table. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she saw the ridiculous prices of the things on the menu. Some people couldn't afford the things on it with a whole month's pay. "I-Issei, are you sure this is alright? I'm all for fancy food, but it's so expensive…"

Issei looked up at her from his own menu. "Oh, don't worry about that. I've got it covered. Order whatever you want, don't feel bad." He told her, and looked back down at his menu.

"Okay…" She said, still unsure. The food at Shangri-La was _a lot of money._

The waiter came back about two minutes later. Raynare had begrudgingly decided on a meal, despite how expensive they were, and Issei wanted to try something he hadn't gotten before.

"I'll have the escargot, thanks." Issei said, and handed the man his menu. The waiter looked to Raynare.

Raynare hesitated. Her meal was not cheap, but when Issei looked at her expectantly, she ordered. "The Dragon Steak, please." She said. The waiter nodded, took her menu, and left.

Another waiter approached them, this time in slightly different, darker, clothes. He brought with him a cart filled with wine bottles, and a singular pitcher of water. The man had a large moustache, and dark hair. He had a large smile on his face. He stopped at their table with the cart, and cleared his throat. He nodded to Issei, who nodded back, and then picked up an ornate bottle of wine and looked at Raynare. He spoke with a thick french accent.

"Madame, zis is a special day, and for zat we brought you a special wine. From what monsieur Hyoudou has told us, it's your first date? Oui, a special day indeed. So, a red wine that tastes like love itself, no? For that, I give you this: the Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, 2012. A bottle younger than the both of you, yet just as beautiful."

The man poured two glasses of the wine for them, and set the bottle back on the cart. He reached for a second bottle, and held it up for them to see.

"Ah, and this wine is no slouch either, hm? Monsieur Hyoudou, no doubt you want a wine as delicious as your lady-friend, oui? Well, unfortunately no wine exists, but this is the closest we can come. I give you: the Lucien Le Moine Chevalier Montrachet, 2010. From my homeland of France, you will not find a better white wine."

 _ **(AN: I do NOT know how wine or wine prices work. I'm assuming these are both adequate wines. Do not quote me on this.)**_

The man poured them both glasses of the white wine, and then put the bottle back. Then, he poured them both a glass of water.

"Well, Monsieur and Madame, that is all I have for you right now. Should you have need of me, simply yell 'Pierre!' and I shall come running as fast as my legs will carry me. Till then, mes amis, I bid you…" The man, Pierre, bowed extravagantly to both of them. "...adieu." Pierre tipped his invisible hat, and left with the cart of wine.

"He was...interesting." Raynare said, looking at her now-full wine glasses.

"Oh yeah, that's Pierre for you. The man lives and breathes wine. He'll put on a show, no matter what, just to try and get someone to love wine as much as he does. He's a great guy." Issei said, nodding.

"How do you know these people? It seems like you're close with everyone in the place." Raynare asked Issei, curious.

"My family, my first family that is, brought me here a lot. My mother and father were both filthy rich treasure hunters, so we came here several times a year. Most of the people here all know each other, and those that don't are quickly introduced. Shangri-La has its own community, pretty much. I've known most of these people since childhood. If you've noticed, they're all looking at us." Raynare looked around at Issei's words, and surely enough, most of the other patrons in the restaurant were watching the two of them unashamedly. Two of them even yelled and gave Issei a thumbs up.

"They've never seen me bring a girl in here, so they're a little excited. Once they figure out you've gotten me to drink, they're gonna riot."

"Why's that?"

"They've all been trying to get me to drink for years, especially Pierre. I'm sure he was shocked."

"They want to see you drunk that badly?"

"My dad was a party all by himself when he got drunk, I guess they're hoping I'll be the same."

"I guess that makes sense."

"It's endearing, in a weird way."

As Raynare and Issei conversed, one of the men in the restaurant came up to their table. He was a large man, Nigerian in nationality, and wore a gold and green formal robe. He shook Issei's hand, and then started talking. He spoke with a thick accent in the deepest voice Raynare had ever heard.

"Issei, it's been too long. How have you been, my young friend?"

"I've been well, Abdalla. How about yourself?"

"If I was any better I could not stand it! If it pleases you and the lady, may I sit with you for a moment? I wish to converse with you."

Issei looked at Raynare, asking her a nonverbal question. She nodded quickly, not wanting to seem rude. It was kind of weird that he'd sit with them on a date, but she didn't want to be mean to one of Issei's friends. Issei gave him a thumbs up.

"I thank you." Abdalla pulled a chair from an empty table, and sat beside them.

"So, what's new? How are your kids?" Issei asked the man.

"Ah, they are fantastic. I could not ask for better children. Ah, but that's not what I wish to talk about. I do not want to intrude on your date, so let us keep things brief." Abdalla said, serious.

"Uh, alright. What is it?" Issei said. Abdalla put his hand on Issei's shoulder, like he was comforting an old friend.

"I wish to offer you my condolences on the death of your parents. They were my treasured friends and I have been very sad with them gone. I think I speak for everyone present when I say I am glad you are here. I would also like to say, I am very glad your _step parents_ are gone." Abdalla spat the words, like he couldn't stand the taste of them in his mouth.

"Thank you, Abdalla. I'm glad to be back." Issei said, nodding his head to the man in thanks.

"Mm. Well, I will leave you to your date. I hope you will introduce her to us all soon."

"Count on it. Bye, Abdalla."

"Goodbye for now, Issei." Abdalla stood up, pat Issei on the back, and left the two of them.

"He was nice." Raynare said.

"Yeah, he's awesome. He was one of my dad's best friends." Issei said, solemn.

"So, if you had all these people, why did you have to live with those awful step parents? Couldn't someone here have taken you in?" Raynare asked. He seemed such good friends with the people here, couldn't someone have done something for him?

"I wish. No, my step parents secured rights to me before anyone here could've. If I'd had any blood relations to anyone here, it might happened, but almost everyone who frequents this place isn't native to Kuoh or even Japan. Abdalla's even from Nigeria." Issei explained.

"Still, it seems like someone here could've done something for you." Raynare said.

"Well, when I was about eleven, Abdalla tried to get custody of me, and there was a whole legal battle. My step parents were no pushovers, though, and they won. I guess after they disowned me, I could've taken up with someone here, but it hardly matters now." Issei said.

Raynare shook her head. There really hadn't been any way for Issei to get out of his step parent's clutches. A shame, really.

"Let's not worry about that, though. This is our first real date, so let's talk about something else." Issei said.

"Um, okay...tell me about yourself." Raynare said. She didn't know a whole lot about Issei, and wanted to learn more.

"There's not much to tell. I like reading, and learning, and playing guit- I mean, I like r-reading and learning. T-that's about it." Issei said, almost slipping up.

Raynare caught it. "What was that third thing, Issei? Did you just say you like playing guitar?" She said, a sly grin on her face.

He sighed. "Yes, I play a little guitar…"

"Why didn't you want to tell me? I'd love to see you play the guitar!" Raynare said excitedly.

"Because I'm not that good, and I was worried you would ask to see me play…" Issei said, looking down and rubbing his head.

"Don't let him lie to you, he's great!" "Yeah, that kid can play!" "He's awesome with a guitar!" Several voices yelled from across the restaurant. Issei looked up, embarrassed.

"You were all listening?! You guys need to mind your business!" Issei yelled, his face beet red. Raynare laughed.

"Someone get a guitar!" Another voice yelled, and several people including the staff started scrambling for a guitar. Issei sighed and put his hand in his hands.

"Oh man…now I've done it…" Issei said, sadly. He did _not_ want to embarass himself in front of Raynare by messing up a song. She laughed.

"Issei, I'm sure you'll do great. I'm excited to see your...random performance." Raynare said. Issei sighed again. Pierre rushed up to Issei with a six-string acoustic guitar. Issei begrudgingly took the instrument, and fiddled with the tuning. He looked up to see the entire restaurant looking at him with gleeful expressions.

"Do I really have to do this?" Issei asked the crowd.

"YES!" They all yelled in response. He laughed nervously.

"I don't even know what to play…" He said, trailing off.

"Do the one about an angel!" Abdalla's voice rang out, far deeper than the rest of the voices. Issei blanched. ' _Oh no. I wouldn't have taken this guitar if I knew I'd have to play that…'_ Issei thought.

"Uh...something else?" Issei said sheepishly. Raynare tilted her head, looking at him curiously.

"The one about an angel, Issei?" She asked.

"Play it, Issei!" "Play the angel song!" "Come on, don't be a scaredy-cat in front of your girl!" "Angel, Angel!" Even more people started yelling for Issei. He sighed for the final time, then took up the guitar. It was so quiet, you could've heard a pin drop. He licked his lips nervously and played a few notes, testing the guitar and it's tuning. Satisfied, he exhaled and started to play.

" _I'm in love with an Angel...heaven forbid…"_

Raynare gasped. She thought he'd just play something on the guitar, she hadn't expected him to sing too. And so well, at that. Not to mention, the song he was singing. He's in love with an angel? ' _If only they knew…'_ Raynare thought. The patrons had no idea Issei was telling the truth as he sang.

" _Made me a believer, with the touch of her skin…"_

Raynare smiled. It was like he was singing the song for her, to her.

" _I'd go to hell and back with you, stay lost in what we found..."_

As Issei performed, Raynare found herself falling in love all over again. A couple verses later, she was ready to get married on the spot.

" _I'm in love with an angel~ who's afraid of the light, her halo is broken~ but there's fight in her eyes..."_

' _Issei, this angel is in love with you too...don't you ever forget it.'_ Raynare thought to herself.

The song drew to a close, and Issei finished it off spectacularly. People started clapping, and the two guys that had given him a thumbs up earlier were hooting and hollering. Issei handed the guitar back to Pierre, who took it back where he'd gotten it, and waved to the crowd. Slowly, people stopped clapping and went back to their meals and drinks, everyone a little bit happier thanks to Issei. Issei sighed, and put his head in his hands.

"I was so nervous…" Issei said, looking back up at Raynare, who had a rather large smirk on her face.

"Issei, I love you too." She said.

"Wha-what? But, I didn't even say it…" Issei said, confused.

"Yes you did, you just sang a beautiful song about it." Raynare pointed out, a smile on her face.

Issei blushed. "O-oh. I guess I did, huh?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

A waiter with two trays came up to their table, finally bringing their food. In front of Issei, he sat a plate of escargot, a french dish made mostly of friend land snails. Yes, snails.

In front of Raynare, he put the biggest steak she'd ever seen. Her eyes widened and her mouth watered at the sight of it. They thanked the waiter, and he left.

Issei and Raynare started to eat, and the rest of the patrons left them alone.

* * *

"Will you go out with me?"

Matsuda's brow scrunched up in confusion. Some random blue haired girl in a different school's uniform had approached him out of nowhere and asked his name, then asked him out. Now, Matsuda wasn't intelligent, but he was smart enough to smell something fishy.

"Why should I?" Matsuda asked, wary. Something about the girl gave him a bad vibe, and the dog between his legs obviously didn't like her either. It was growling ferociously at her, though she didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I saw you, and you looked really cute, so I thought-"

"No, I'll pass. Go bother someone else." Matsuda said, shoving past the girl and continuing his walk. It was completely dark outside, and something about the night air felt wrong. Matsuda wanted to hurry home.

"Damn. Raynare was right, this is harder than it looks. Well, sorry kid." Matsuda turned around to see the girl transform. Right before his eyes, she turned more mature and taller, and her school uniform shifted into a very revealing red dress. Matsuda turned back around, and started to run. He knew something was off.

"You might've lived longer if you'd said yes." As he ran, he felt something hit him hard in the back. He staggered, and looked down to see a bright, glowing red spear jutting out of the center of his chest, just above his heart and between his shoulder blades. He coughed blood, and fell to his knees. The girl, who was obviously not just some girl at this point, sprouted two black feathered wings and took off into the air, not caring at all that she just murdered someone.

"You...bitch. All I wanted...was a normal life…" Matsuda said, falling foward on the ground. His face hit the concrete pavement, and his last thought was how sorry he was to leave the dog alone like he was. It reminded him of his father. But, instead of getting angry, Matsuda just felt numb. So numb, in fact, that he never noticed the flyer in his pocket glowing red.

* * *

Issei sat back in his chair and sighed. Raynare mimicked him, the both of them incredibly full from their meal.

"That was fantastic…" Raynare said slowly. She had the appetite of a supernatural creature, and despite both the size of the meal and her small-ish stature, she managed to eat the entire steak.

"I agree...but, I can't help but feel insulted that you like the taste of dragon so much. Should I be worried?" Issei joked, making Raynare laugh.

She put her finger to her chin, as if she was considering. "Hm...I'm not sure. I might like to eat you sometime." She said, putting a seductive edge into her voice. Issei coughed, not expecting her response, and began to blush furiously. "Now, if I remember right, I believe my boyfriend promised me he'd drink with me after our meal…? Is that right, Issei?" Raynare asked, twirling her glass of red wine in her hand.

Issei smiled nervously, and picked up his glass of red wine. "I did promise…" Issei said.

"Hey, everyone! Issei's drinking!" Someone yelled, and instantly all eyes were back on Issei. Issei sighed, and when Raynare took a sip, he knocked back the entire glass at once. Raynare's eyes went wide.

"I-Issei, when I said you should drink with me, I didn't mean all at once...you're supposed to savor wine…" Raynare said, shocked that he'd down an entire glass of wine in one go when he'd never even drank before.

"Really? Mom always said you should drink alcohol as fast as possible." Issei said, exhaling and putting his now-empty glass down. As soon as the glass touched the table, a yell went through the whole place. As soon as he entered, almost everyone in the restaurant had made bets on whether or not Issei would drink tonight, and now that he had, money was changing hands.

"Well, in other cases, yes, but not wine-" Raynare was cut off by an angry frenchman.

"Monsieur Hyoudou! If I see you drinking wine like that ever again, I will unleash upon you the fury of a thousand frenchmen!" Pierre said, yelling from across the floor and shaking his fist. As Pierre yelled, Issei started to blink rapidly and rub his eyes. He began to sway a little in his chair.

' _No way...Is Issei drunk?'_ Raynare thought. The wine was some strong stuff, sure, but to be drunk off one glass?

"Right...my bad...Raynare, did you put somethin in my drink? I feel funny." Issei said, looking at his hands. [Dragons are extremely susceptible to alcohol, Issei. You should've shown a little restraint.] The stern voice of Ddraig spoke into his mind. ' _Haha, oops.'_ Issei thought, laughing a little.

"No, but I think you'd better hand me that other glass…" Raynare said, reaching for Issei's white wine only to be stopped by her slightly drunk boyfriend.

"Nono, no, no. I gotta drink it all, like I promished." Raynare smirked at Issei's words.

"Alright, let's see it then, big shot. Down the other glass too." Raynare challenged him.

Issei grinned widely, excited by the prospect of a challenge. His normal timid persona was long gone, and he picked up the second glass without hesitation. "Fine then. Watsh this!" Issei drank the entire glass once again, albeit far slower this time. After he finished, he took the glass away from his mouth with an 'ahh' sound, and put it back on the table. Raynare gave a slow clap.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd really do it. How do you feel?" Raynare asked. Issei frowned, and narrowed his eyes.

"Fuzzy." He said after a few moments.

Raynare laughed out loud, and it sounded like heaven, even to the drunk Issei. He grinned widely, and followed her laugh with one of his own, though his had far more hiccups in it.

"Okay, Issei. Let's get you home before you cause permanent damage."

"No, no! I'm feelin another song!" Issei said, throwing his arms out. The patrons of the restaurant all yelled in unison. They were beyond excited to see how drunk Issei would unfold.

Pierre brought Issei the guitar back. Issei loudly twanged it. The restaurant- well, at this point, it was more of a fancy bar- the bar patrons all clapped, and yelled for Issei to play something good. He was more than happy to oblige.

Raynare laughed. It'd been a while since she'd partied, and she was a-ok with her date turning into a drunken party. Even if it would take several bottles of wine for her to get slightly buzzed, she was more than happy just to have fun with Issei.

And Issei was about to have some fun, too. He started to play the guitar, and his skills weren't nullified by the alcohol at all. Now, when he started to sing, that was another story.

" _Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall…!"_

* * *

Issei cracked his eyes, and immediately regret the decision. Even the slightest light burned, and his head started to pound. He groaned, and felt stirring beside him. His head swam.

"Raynare, is that you?" He asked, refusing to try opening his eyes again.

She giggled. "Yes, it's me. I guess you're a little hungover, huh? You went a tad bit crazy yesterday." She said, a happy tone in her voice.

"Ugh...I'm sorry for ruining our date…" Issei said, clutching his head.

"Ruin? Issei, that was the most fun I've had in years! You sure know how to show a girl a good time." She said, rubbing his back. She had thouroughly enjoyed drunk-Issei's antics, and she had especially enjoyed something he'd said when she'd tried to kiss him after they got home.

" _No, no! I can't kish you, I've got a girlfriend!"_ Issei'd said. She'd become understandably irate, and asked him who she was.

" _Her name is Raynare, and she's the prettiest girl I've ever seen...she'd get real sad if I kissed someone else, so I'm not gonna."_ She'd felt her heart pound at his words, and wanted to throw herself at him.

Even now, when he sat in bed nursing what was without a doubt the worst headache of his life, he made her heart flutter.

"That's good, then. Honestly, I can't remember anything past the first glass of wine." Issei said. His eyes were tightly closed, and he was sure if he tried to open them, he'd die.

"Well, all you need to know was that it was amazing. I'm very glad you decided to show me that place."

Issei sighed. "It's only natural I would, those guys are basically the only family I've got left, other than you of course." Issei said. He tried cracking his eyes again, only to recoil in pain. Raynare laughed at his discomfort.

"Here darling, let me help you with that." Raynare said. She put her hand on the back of his head, and a spell activated. Suddenly, Issei's hangover was gone and he felt top-notch, if a little tired.

He opened his eyes, and rubbed his face. "Wow, thanks! I feel a million times bett- why are you naked?!" Issei said, immediately shutting his eyes again. He'd looked to his angel to thank her, and realized she was entirely naked. She decided to mess with him.

"Why am I naked? Issei, do you not remember taking my first time?" She asked quietly, faking a blush.

Issei got a stern look on his face. "I didn't really do anything to you while I was drunk, did I? I wouldn't." Issei said, sounding like he abhorred the thought of it.

Raynare was a little confused. "Well, no, you didn't, but...would it really be that bad? You sound like the idea makes you sick."

"It does. If I'm going to...s-sleep with you, I want to do it right, y'know? Not drunk." Issei said, blushing a little and looking away. Raynare smiled and launched herself at him, hugging him and cooing about how he was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. He tried to shake her off, citing the need for them to 'get ready for school.' She didn't listen.

They weren't out of bed for another solid twenty minutes, despite Issei's protests.

 **Alright, I'm gonna answer some questions I'm sure I'll be getting, as well as some I probably won't get.**

 **Q: Does Belial know anything about wine or fine dining? A: No! I've been to several fancy restaurants, but none like I described Shangri-La as. As for the wine, I googled 'most expensive red & white wines' and copied a couple of the results. Those are real wines, though I personally have no idea ****whether** **or not they're good. Oh well. Who cares, right?**

 **Q: Why does this story have so many OC's? A: Well, since I'm not putting Issei in the center of the canon cast, I've got to use other characters to advance the plot. I've tried to keep the number semi limited by giving characters two different roles in the story (ex. Yoshikage being both a cop and a limo driver) but I'm definitely going to try and cut down on how many I use.**

 **Q: Why does this chapter have so much Matsuda in it? A: Someone's gotta advance the plot, right? The Fallen Angel arc is still going on, so I need someone to take Issei's place. Who better than Matsuda? If you think that's bad, I actually originally planned for Matsuda to be the White Dragon** **Emperor** **. Be glad I didn't, he'd have been in the story quite a bit more if I had.**

 **Q: Why did Belial feel the need to put that bit of singing in the story? A: I thought it was cute. Sue me.**

 **Okay, here's the big one.**

 **Q: If Issei had so many friends/allies at Shangri-La, why was he so alone/depressed? A: I kind of wrote myself into a hole with this one. Since I don't have any excuse to squeeze an explanation into the story, I'll explain here. Issei hasn't been able to go to Shangri-La since his parents died. As you may have noticed from Abdalla's words, this was the first time anyone there had seen him in a while. They were like a second family to him, but while he was underneath the thumb of his step-parents, he couldn't even so much as visit them. Abdalla did try to win custody of him, but a wealthy foreigner with no real connection to him would have a very hard time getting custody when he had a pre-existing family, even more so with his step-parent's resources. So, Issei was stuck. Hope that explains it.**

 **Well, that's all. Leave a review if you liked it, send a pm if you didn't, all that good stuff. Till next time!**


	11. Apologies

**Everyone, hold the phone. Take a second, and look up at the top of this story. Whether you're on mobile or desktop, you'll see the number of followers and favorites this story has. Take your time and look, I'll wait. Back yet? Good. Now, tell me what that number was. Did you forget? Look again. Okay, hit me.**

 **"Belial, it says your story has over 500 followers!" Yes, it does! Thanks for the help, reader!**

 **Can you believe that? Because I sure can't. When I wrote the 2,643 word Chapter One of His Angel, I never expected it would have so many followers. That's** _ **amazing.**_ **I'd like to give a big shout out to everyone who's followed/favorited/reviewed my story, it means sooo much! Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!**

 **Well, that's all I wanted to say. Without any more delay, on with the story!**

 **ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE A GOOD ARTIST, READ THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM UPON FINISHING THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE!**

Inside Matsuda's house, he slept soundly on top of his bed. As his alarm clock went off, the boy opened his eyes wide, all at once. He sat up quickly, throwing off the blanket on him to look at his chest. He had a large scar, right above his heart. He rubbed his chest, feeling where the spear had pierced him. Phantom pain shot through him as his hand brushed the area. He recoiled, and a voice startled him even further.

"Be careful, you're still hurt." Matsuda jumped out of his bed and turned to the source of the voice, a redhead who was beside him in his own bed.

"Who the hell are you?!" He asked, pointing accusingly at the intruder. The black dog was between his legs in an instant, despite having not been in the room at all before. It growled ferociously at the redhead, and she, unlike everyone before, locked eyes with the canine and looked semi-afraid. She gulped, and spoke back.

"I'm Rias Gremory. I found you last night, and brought you here to heal you." Rias said, looking apprehensively at the black dog. If it was what she thought it was, the wrong words could get her killed.

Matsuda seemed to consider what she said for a moment, then grit his teeth and started yelling again. "Bullshit! I got stabbed in the goddamn heart, you don't just heal from that! I bet you're with the demon chick, aren't you!?" He yelled, and the more intense he got, the harder the dog growled.

"Demon chick?" Rias asked, confused.

"Don't act stupid! Some bitch with wings stabbed in me in the effing chest yesterday, and I wake up with a random person in my bed? How do you even know where I live?!" Matsuda yelled. The dog's ferocity reached a peak, and it let out a loud, deep, monstrous bark that shook the room they were in.

"I can answer all your questions, just calm down-"

"Don't tell me to CALM DOWN! I FUCKING DIED! You don't-!" Mid-sentence, Matsuda screamed and clutched his chest, and the dog barked again, seeming to grow in size. Matsuda fell on the floor, writhing. The now-larger dog was with him instantly, licking his face in reassurance.

Rias didn't know what to do. She could heal him, but that was only if the dog let her get close. She stepped out of Matsuda's bed, and took a cautious step forward. The dog turned to look at her, and then back at Matsuda, as if it was confused about what to do. It went back to licking his face, dismissing Rias as a threat entirely. She sighed in relief, then kneeled down by Matsuda. She put her hands on his chest, and Matsuda clutched her wrists in an instant. Both he and the dog bared their teeth at her, but she kept doing what she was doing. A red magic circle formed in her palm, and washed his chest in bright crimson light. He calmed down, and lay still.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes again. He stroked his dog's fur, but didn't sit up. Sweat glistened on his brow.

"I hate to say I told you so, but…" Rias said, a grin on her face. Matsuda tiredly smiled back. All the fight had left him. That had been the most intense pain of his life, but Rias hadn't backed off when he got mad. She was alright, in his book.

"So, you said you'd answer my questions?" He asked, looking her in the eye.

She nodded and hummed in the affirmative.

"Well then, why are we both naked?"

* * *

Raynare yawned. Her and Issei were on their way to school.

"You're still tired?" Issei asked.

"Mmm. We were up a little late." Raynare said, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Oh, right...I can't really remember any of that, sorry…" Issei said, trailing off.

"I didn't expect you to. You were pretty out there." She said, giggling. He smiled at her laugh.

The two of them entered the school's gate, and almost immediately became the gossip of the year again. People were pointing at Issei and murmuring, suddenly making him very self-conscious. Raynare's hearing quickly picked up on why everyone was talking about him. She frowned. He was not going to be happy.

"Um, Raynare? What's going on?" Issei asked, unsure why he was being talked about with such vigor. At first, he'd just assumed he had something on his shirt, but a swift check revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Raynare sighed. She wondered if she should tell him, or let someone else do it. She decided on the latter. "I'm not sure." She said finally.

A trio of girls approached the pair, earning a glare from Raynare and confusing Issei. "Are you the boy from the video?" The girl in the center asked, a brunette with green eyes. Her friends nodded, also wanting the answer.

Issei looked lost. "Video? What video?" He asked, becoming wary. Had he done something stupid last night and someone recorded it?

The girls shared a glance, and the same on who asked them the question pulled out her smartphone, pulling up a video on YouTube. She handed the phone to Issei, who dropped Raynare's hand to take it. He looked at the phone with Raynare watching closely behind him. The video was titled "Boy sings beautiful song to girlfriend in restaurant" and had several million views. Issei pressed play.

The video starts by showing a shot of someone's pants leg, like the recorder is trying to be subtle and hide the camera. As he pulls the camera out and focuses it, however, it reveals a very clear shot of Issei with a guitar, singing to Raynare in Shangri-La. Issei's breath hitched and he nearly dropped the phone.

He paused the video without another second of it playing and quickly handed it back to the girl. His face was bright red.

"That was you, right? You've got a beautiful voice. Do you want to go to Karaoke with us sometime?" The main girl asked, stepping closer to Issei. Before he could say a word, Raynare moved in between them, giving the girl a hard stare.

"He's _busy that day_." Raynare practically snarled, retaking Issei's hand and leading him away from the group of girls. They waved at him, but he was too shell-shocked to notice.

Raynare lead him to an empty part of the schoolyard, where no one could see him. She looked at him, worried. "Are you okay, Issei?"

"Raynare...millions of people. I thought I was just singing for you and a few others...but millions of people saw me…" He said, sliding down a wall he'd leaned on. Raynare sat down beside him.

"Issei, you do have an amazing voice. It's not like it's a video of you butchering the song or anything, it's actually an amazing performance." Even as she said the words, Raynare knew that wouldn't be how he saw it. Issei would be embarrassed out of his mind, and he'd feel more than slightly betrayed by whoever took the video.

"What am I gonna do…?" Issei asked, head in his hands.

"You'll be fine, Issei…"

"How? How am I gonna be fine? Millions of people saw me sing to you, Raynare! I knew I shouldn't have done it…"

Raynare sighed. She honest thought it was a good thing, that he got a little bit of well-deserved internet fame. It had been a stellar performance, and it would be a waste if only twenty or so people got to see it. But, he wouldn't get that, and she was never good at arguing her point. She'd have to be little harsh.

"Issei, look at me. Look at me!" Raynare said, poking him in the side. He looked up at her. "You're fine. That video is a good thing! Now millions of people have seen how amazing and talented you are! This is just the lucky break you deserve!" Rayare said, taking his hands. "You could even be a superstar!" She said.

Issei sighed. She made good points, but he still wasn't happy about the situation. "I don't want to be a superstar." He mumbled, looking down.

"What do you want to be?" Raynare asked, tilting her head. She'd never asked what he actually wanted to do.

"With you." Issei said, looking her in the eyes. Her heart fluttered, but she didn't let it distract her. Even if the words he said made her want to kiss him, she had to say what she wanted to say first.

"Iss~ei, be serious! This could be really good for you!" She said, poking him.

He laughed a little. He was very ticklish, and she was poking him in just the right spots. "I know, I know. You're right, of course." He said, relenting.

She huffed. "I'm always right, don't forget it. Now get up, let's go to class. Unless you want to stay here and get into some trou~ble…" She said seductively. Issei quickly stood up, offering her his hand. "That's what I thought." She said, pulling herself up with his hand.

They headed into the school, hand in hand. They were nearly to their class when the were stopped by none other than Sona Sitri, flanked by her entire student council.

"Issei Hyoudou and Yuuma Amano, please accompany me to the student council office. We have urgent matters to discuss." Sona said, gesturing for the pair to follow her and her cronies.

"Uh, sure...I really hope this isn't about that video…" Issei said. Sona turned around and began to walk to the council room, Issei and Raynare following close behind. The student council walked behind the pair, like they were trying to prevent an escape.

"Nothing so mundane. Although, you do have quite the talent." Sona said, not turning around.

"Ugh...thanks." Issei said, rubbing his face.

They entered the student council room behind Sona, every one of the members taking a seat at the large table with Issei and Raynare standing awkwardly. Sona sat at her desk, her queen behind her. Sona sighed, put her hands on her chin, and started talking.

"Where were the two of you last night?" Sona asked, skipping any exposition.

Raynare answered. "My boyfriend took me out to a nice restaurant and we came back home. Why? What's this about?" She asked, worried something had happened. Issei might not have realized what was happening yet, but Raynare knew. This was an interrogation.

"Hm. Issei, do you know a person by the name Matsuda Yukaza?" Sona asked, light glinting off her glasses.

Issei had a confused look on his face. "Uh, yeah, that guy's been the bane of my existence for like four years. Um, what's going on?" Issei asked, unsure. He didn't know what they'd done wrong, if anything, and he'd even remembered to not bring his ring this time.

"He was murdered last night." Sona said, an edge in her voice.

Issei's eyes went wide. Raynare gasped.

"W-what? How?" Issei stammered. He didn't like Matsuda, but he definitely didn't want him dead.

"That's what I want to know from you. More specifically, from her." Sona said accusingly, turning her gaze on Raynare.

"Me?" Raynare asked, shocked. "Look, I don't know who killed the kid, but it wasn't me. I was with Issei the entire night." She said, resolute.

"...Hm. So, you have no idea who could've done this?" Sona asked. The tension in the air was so thick you _couldn't_ cut it with a knife, and it felt like a single wrong word could shatter the room like glass.

"No. The only other Fallen in this city were under Kokabiel's supervision, and he's been reported to Azazel for treason." Raynare answered, unerring. Issei looked back and forth between the two, wondering why Raynare would be accused of doing anything.

"...I believe you. Okay, that's all we need. Rias, you can come out now." Sona said, looking to a corner of the room. The air near the corner seemed to shimmer and distort, and an invisible curtain fell to the ground. From behind it, stepped a buxom redhead, a gorgeous black haired girl, and Issei's nemesis, all wearing the school uniform.

Issei narrowed his eyes at Matsuda and unconsciously summoned the Boosted Gear. Raynare stepped back behind him and put her hands up, magic circles spinning in each of her palms. Matsuda grinned ferociously at the sight of Issei getting ready for a fight, but his eyes went wide when he saw Raynare's magic circles. Before he could say anything, Rias stepped between Matsuda and the pair, hiding the bully from their vision. Her eyes were wide, and she looked afraid, but the Boosted Gear wasn't enough to stop her from defending her newest servant.

"You're the Red Dragon Emperor?!" Rias yelled, shocked. Sona had told her Issei wielded an unknown sacred gear, but she never expected him to be a Dragon.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Issei yelled to Sona furiously, ignoring Rias entirely. He thought he'd seen the last of Matsuda when he'd taught him a lesson in the park. Raynare narrowed her eyes, her glare shifting from devil to devil, looking for answers. She wanted to know what kind of idea it was to not only bring her boyfriend's sole remaining antagonist into the school, but to make him reveal his Sacred Gear.

"Please calm down, Hyoudou. He's non-hostile, and I ask that you remain the same." Sona said in a diplomatic voice. She was more than a little frightened, now that she knew who Issei really was.

 **[Boost!]** "Last time we met, he tried to kill me! Non-hostile my ass!" Issei yelled, pointing his gauntleted hand at the bald boy. The redhead, who Issei assumed was Rias, narrowed her eyes at him.

"I assure you, my servant harbors no ill will towards you. Now, put your gear away and have your pet stand down before things get violent." Rias said, trying to command Issei. Everyone was quiet for a moment, while Issei grit his teeth.

"...Did you just call her my pet?" **[Boost!]** There was a fire in Issei's eyes, and he looked _livid._ Raynare wanted to swoon at his defense of her, but there were more pressing matters.

"Being a pet is all you disgusting Fallen are good for." The black haired girl spat at Raynare, lightning gathering in her hands. Matsuda looked to the people getting ready for a fight around him, and suddenly his dog was at his feet.

"Take it back." Issei said, calmly. Far too calmly for the situation. He looked at the black-haired girl, who sneered back. Matsuda spoke up.

"If you wanna fight again, it won't go your way this time. I'm back in black, wimp." Matsuda said, grinning. The black dog at his side suddenly turned into something like a living shadow and wrapped around Matsuda's hand in the shape of pitch-black spiked brass knuckles. Matsuda rubbed the spikes, readying himself.

"I said, take it back!" Issei said yelled, reaching the limit of his patience. **[Boost!]** His Gear shone brightly in the dim light of the room, and the green gems gleamed.

"Everyone, calm down NOW!" Sona screamed at the top of her lungs, shocking everyone. Everyone was quiet for a second, and soon, all the parties' magic circles started to disperse. Issei and Matsuda were the last to disarm, sharing one last glare before unequipping their gears. Issei's Gauntlet disappeared, and Matsuda's knuckles shifted back into a dog.

"Rias, you and your queen are acting like children! Apologize to Hyoudou and Amano this instant!" Sona said, standing and pointing at the redhead.

' _We do have first names, y'know...'_ Raynare thought, weirded out by being called Amano.

Rias sighed. She took a moment to consider, then spoke to Issei again. "I apologize for the actions of myself and my queen. Forgive me." She said, bowing to Issei.

Issei sighed too. "Whatever. It's not me you need to apologize to, anyway." He looked to Raynare. The Fallen Angel looked to Rias and tilted her head, awaiting an apology.

Rias bit her lip. The black haired girl looked extremely apprehensive at the thought of her master giving an apology to a Fallen, but didn't say anything. "I'm sorry...angel. Sorry, I don't know your name." Rias said.

Raynare spoke back to her. "Yuuma Amano. Don't forget it." She gave the devils her fake name, since only a handful of people knew her real one.

"There. Now that we're settled, can we talk like civilized people?" Sona asked the room, annoyed. After everyone present gave a tentative nod, she continued. "Matsuda there was killed last night by an unknown Fallen Angel with blue hair. We were hoping you could identify the killer." Sona said, sitting back down at her desk and talking to Raynare.

"The only blue haired Fallen I know is Kalawarner, who should've left when Kokabiel was arrested. I don't know why she'd kill anyone, though." Raynare answered, not skipping a beat.

Sona nodded. "That's good to know. We can't do much with that information, but it's good to have nonetheless. Now-"

"I'm sorry, but I've gotta ask. You keep saying Matsuda was killed yesterday, so why is he right there? Shouldn't he be, I don't know, dead?" Issei asked, interrupting Sona. His patience for things not making sense was at an end.

Matsuda smirked. "Wouldn't you love that, shrimp? Sorry, but I'm not just alive, I got an upgrade. Check it." He said, and two bat wings unfurled from his back. Issei's eyes went wide.

"Wait, are you a devil? How?" Issei asked, flabbergasted.

Sona interjected again. "Were you unaware of the Evil Piece system, Hyoudou?" She asked, looking at Issei.

"The what?" Issei asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

Sona looked at him blankly for a moment, as if evaluating the truth of his question. "...Hm. Very well, I'll explain. Devils can reincarnate other living beings into a member of our species by using an item called an Evil Piece. This reincarnation extends to the recently deceased, as well. So, when matsuda was killed yesterday, Rias used some of her Evil Pieces to reincarnate him as a member of her peerage. Does that answer your question?" Sona explained, not stopping for a moment.

"I think so…" Issei said, scratching his head. He didn't really get it at all. [I or your mate will explain later, don't worry. It's time one of us explained things to you, anyway.] ' _Uh, okay. That sounds like a good idea.'_ Issei thought, thankful for Ddraig's promise.

"Oh! How could I forget. I don't think you've all been properly introduced. I suppose we should do that, before we move on. Hyoudou, this is Rias Gremory, heir to the pillar family of the Gremory, and her queen Akeno Himejima. You've met her newest family member, so I don't think I need to introduce you." Issei gave the two girls a half hearted wave at Sona's introduction. He didn't have a very good first impression of them so far.

"Rias, Akeno, this is Issei Hyoudou and Yuuma Amano. Hyoudou is the...Red Dragon Emperor, apparently... as well as the holder of the Ring of Solomon, and Amano is a Fallen Angel in the service of Azazel." Rias and Akeno gave Issei a wave back, but barely even acknowledged the Fallen.

"Now, with that out of the way, here's the situation. We've got one or more potentially hostile Fallen active in this town, killing anyone they deem a threat. This is a problem for everyone here, including you two. If they truly are under Kokabiel's command, and he has in fact betrayed your faction, it's highly possible that you're their next target. I'd request that, for a while, you coordinate with us to resolve the threat." Sona said calmly.

'And what exactly would you mean by that?" Raynare asked. Sona was right, they were definitely on Kokabiel's hit-list, but she didn't know if she wanted to hunt her fellow Fallen.

"What I mean is, you should assist our peerages in assessment and removal of the enemy. If you really were sent by Azazel to foster relations, I believe this is a good first step. What do you say?" Sona asked, tilting her head.

Issei looked to Raynare, who shrugged. He bit his lip and considered his options for a moment.

"We'll help you." Issei said.

"Excellent. We should start by-" Sona began, only to be stopped.

"On one condition." Issei interrupted, holding up his index finger.

"And what might that be?" Sona asked, hesitant.

Everyone looked at him, awaiting his next words.

"I want _him_ …" Issei pointed at Matsuda, who raised his head.

"What's my servant got to do-" Rias started in her pompous voice, before Issei once again interrupted.

"...To apologize. All the shit he's given me, all the times he's hurt me, all the times he's made me want to die. I want to him to apologize for it." Issei started quietly, his voice rising with every accusation.

"Why the hell should I?" Matsuda snarled, his dog growling.

Rias considered Issei's words for a moment. The cooperation of the Red Dragon would be invaluable in ridding the town of the Fallen, especially if Kokabiel himself were to attack. They needed him.

"Matsuda, please apologize." Rias said in a 'no-buts' voice.

"What? Like hell-" Matsuda started.

"Do it!" Rias yelled, at her wit's end. She didn't like forcing her newest servant to do something he didn't want to do, but they really didn't have a choice.

"...Tch. Fine." Matsuda said. He crossed the room, and walked over to Issei, stopping about two feet in front of him. He extended his hand to shake with Issei. "I'm...sorry." He managed to say.

"Good." Issei replied, shaking his hand. Neither of them crushed the other's hand, though both wanted too. Matsuda returned to Rias' side.

"So, we're all in agreement? Excellent. Now, a good start would be to identify who we're dealing with. If it is the angel Kalawarner, like Amano said, then we'll know for sure this is Kokabiel's doing. We should also set about locating the Fallen's area of operation. Anyone have any input?" Sona asked, looking around the room.

"Yeah." Raynare said. Everyone looked at her. "I know where they _were_ located, though I don't know if they're still there." Sona nodded at her, gesturing for Raynare to keep going. "The abandoned church, on the edge of town. There were three angels there. Kalawarner, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek. All with two wings, and all under Kokabiel, who wasn't actually there." Raynare said, explaining.

"How do you know all that?" Rias asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I was there on Azazel's orders, keeping an eye on them and making sure they didn't do anything to start a war." Raynare lied. She didn't want Issei to know that she too was meant to be one of the killers. "Is that okay with you, _your highness?_ " Raynare said mockingly, making Rias angry. She did _not_ like the redhead's attitude, acting like she was better than everyone present and talking about her 'servants' like they were a pair of shoes. It ticked Raynare off to no end, and it bothered Issei too. They shared a glance, Issei snorting a laugh at the way Raynare called out Rias.

Rias and her queen had angry expressions, but Matsuda thought it was pretty funny too. He found himself stifling a laugh, earning him an angry glare from Rias.

"Well then. I believe that's enough for today. We'll give you our contact information, and I ask that you do the same. That way, we can get in touch if something comes up. Any questions?" Sona asked. No one said anything. "Good. Then, I believe I've kept you all away from your classes long enough."

After finishing up, Issei and Raynare left the room, heading to class. Several members of the Student Council filtered out behind them, also heading to their classes After everyone was out, Sona stood up from her desk. She crossed the room, walking up to Rias with an angry expression.

"Sona, what's-" Rias was silenced by a harsh slap to the face. Rias' hand went to her cheek as she looked at Sona in disbelief. Matsuda and Akeno looked confused, but also ready to move at a moment's notice.

"Rias. I don't know if you forgot, but that boy that you just insulted, has, in his possession, a ring that could make us kill ourselves at the snap of a finger. Not to mention, he's literally the damn Red Dragon! And you just called the girl he loves a _pet,_ and insulted him ever further than you already had by suggesting you're better than him. Are you stupid?!" Sona yelled at Rias, who had a dumbfounded expression on her face. She'd heard Sona yell two or three times, but she'd _never_ heard the girl curse before.

"Sona, I-"

"No, Rias. You need to lose your prissy attitude. If we want to work with him on this, you need to stop acting like a brat and be mature for once!" Sona's face was red, and her knuckles were white. Rias realized the girl was scared. The more she thought about it, the more she realized Sona was right to be scared, too. If Issei had really wanted it, they'd all be dead, or worse. Rias hung her head.

Sona sighed, and returned to her desk. "I'd advise all of you to avoid antagonizing our newest comrade, and do not by _any means_ do anything to hurt or anger his girlfriend. She seems to be a trigger for him, and doing something to her could bring him crashing down on us."

"I'd like to see him try. With my new powers, he wouldn't stand a chance against me." Matsuda said, stroking his dog's fur. Sona grit her teeth.

"Matsuda, yours is a low tier longinus. Issei's is a mid-to-high tier, and he has the Ring of Solomon. He would be deadly to you." Sona said matter-of-factly.

Matsuda made a 'tch' sound and turned away. He'd get Hyoudou, one way or another, ring or no ring.

* * *

Issei sat in his last class, Raynare sleeping in her desk behind him. How she managed to get a desk behind him in _every one of their classes,_ he'd never figure out. It was like magic.

The teacher talked and talked, but Issei was absorbing none of the information. He was worried about Matsuda. He'd apologized, yes, and they were meant to be working together, but Issei couldn't shake the feeling that Matsuda would be a foe soon enough. He hoped that wasn't the case.

* * *

After school, as Raynare and Issei walked home, Issei sent Yoshikage a text, saying they were done with school and ready to come to the station, but they needed a ride. Yoshikage replied within moments, saying that he'd be more than happy to give them a ride.

About fifteen minutes later, they were in Yoshi's car, well on their way to the station.

"So, how are you two doing? Did you enjoy your date last night?" Yoshi asked, looking at the pair from the rear view mirror.

"It was a blast." Raynare said, smiling.

"Yeah, I bet! The Mayor invited me to eat with her at Shangri-La one time, and I'll never forget it. That place is one of Kuoh's best kept secrets."

"It's pretty great." Issei said, absentmindedly. What he was really thinking about was what he was going to get as his step-parents' inheritance. They still had all his things from his real parents, as well as some other stuff he wouldn't mind having.

"Mhmm. Well, here we are. I'll walk you two inside, take you to the guy, and when you're all done I'll take you home. Cool?"

"Cool." Issei and Raynare said in unison, both amused at the man's upbeat attitude.

"Great!" Yoshikage exclaimed, giving them a thumbs up.

* * *

About 4 hours later, Issei and Raynare walked out of the police station, and both had bags under their eyes and disheveled hair. The main Issei had to talk to, a lawyer named Shiro, had just talked, and talked, and talked. Issei had to sign paper after paper to finally get everything taken care of, but he managed it.

He'd come away from everything with even more money than Yoshikage had originally stated, since his step-parents had a bunch of money in alternate accounts and stocks and such. After everything was said and done, Issei had roughly 2 billion Yen, making him quite possibly the richest teenager in Japan.

 _ **(AN: 2 billion Yen equals about 18.2 Million USD, for all you American readers.)**_

Issei was ecstatic at the amount, and that wasn't even counting the two houses and four cars that he owned. He decided to sell both houses and three of the cars, but he left that to Shiro, since Issei knew nothing about how to sell something like that. Shiro said he'd do it through the bank, and just have the money transferred into Issei's now massive bank account.

All his possessions were still in his step-parent's main house, and were to be shipped to his new place as soon as the police determine it's no longer a crime scene, which would only be a day or two since the culprit had confessed before killing herself. The only thing he wouldn't get to keep was the sword his Step Mom had used for the crime, since it was now a murder weapon.

Yoshikage was waiting for them outside, his car ready. They got in, and conversed tiredly with the excited police officer for a while as he drove them home.

As the pair arrived at their house, they thanked Yoshikage for the ride, and went inside. They were both exhausted from the lengthy chat with the lawyer, and neither felt like doing much.

"Do you watch anime?" Raynare asked Issei as the entered their penthouse. The question surprised him.

"Uh...no. My step parents were extremely strict on what I could and couldn't watch, and anime wasn't one of the 'coulds.' I didn't think you did either, honestly." Issei said. He did not take Raynare for the kind of person to watch anime.

"I'm full of surprises, aren't I? Let's watch some anime." Raynare said, pulling Issei to their couch. They sat together under a throw blanket while Raynare searched for something good to watch on Hulu.

"This should be something good to start on, I think. It's one of my favorites." Raynare said, selecting an anime.

"Tokyo...Ghoul? Is it good?" Issei asked. He'd never heard of it before, but he was open to it if Raynare liked it.

"It's great. Should be perfect for a sheltered kid like yourself." Raynare said, grinning evilly. Tokyo Ghoul _was_ one of her favorites but it would _not_ be good to start off on for Issei, not at all. He was in for a shock.

"What's it about?" Issei asked. Raynare had skipped through the menus fast enough that Issei wasn't able to read the description of the show.

"It's a really happy story about Kaneki Ken, a Japanese teenager going through some changes in his body. You'll love it." Raynare said.

"Sounds a little weird, but okay." Issei said. Raynare started the episode.

* * *

 **One episode later**

* * *

"But...but...why? How could…? Why? He was just a normal kid, he didn't deserve that!" Issei yelled at the TV, eyes puffy and red. Raynare sat curled beside him, trying to contain her laughter.

' _Oh Issei, it only gets worse.'_ "Don't worry, it gets better." Raynare lied.

"Oh, good. I don't think I could handle it getting any worse."

* * *

 **Another episode later**

* * *

"Why?!" Issei yelled. Raynare laughed into Issei's side. If he was this bad now, how torn up was he gonna be when she showed him Parasyte or Akame Ga Kill? She could hardly wait.

Raynare had fallen into Issei's side when she was laughing at his reactions, but now she found herself extremely comfortable. He was very warm, and between the softness of the couch and the heat from his body, she couldn't stop herself drifting off.

When Issei realized Raynare had fallen asleep, he smiled softly at her serene expression. He paused the TV, and picked her up in his arms. He carried her into their room, and laid her down on the bed.

Issei moved to walk away and go sleep on the couch so he wouldn't disturb her, but as he stepped away a hand shot out and caught him by the sleeve. He looked down to see a sleeping Raynare trying to pull him into bed with her. He laughed. Issei couldn't say no to his Angel, even when she was asleep. Slowly, and as carefully as he could, Issei climbed into bed with her. The moment he hit the sheets, she latched onto him like he was a giant pillow, not that he minded. Before he knew it, he'd drifted off to sleep.

 _ **Chapter 11, END.**_

 **ATTENTION, READERS: I HAVE A REQUEST! I know a lot of people read this story, and I'd like to ask my readers for a favor. If any of you are good artists, could someone draw a cutesy fanart picture of Raynare and Issei from this story? I've been searching up and down for one, but I cannot find a single picture of these two. I can't pay you or anything, but I'd give you a shout-out or something like that, and it would be awesome to have a cover photo for His Angel. I hope some of you will consider my request, it'd mean a lot to me!**

 **Okay, that's all for now!**


	12. Kalawarner

**Hey people! Here's the real chapter 12, sorry for the wait! Read and Review!**

Kokabiel ground his teeth in anger. Everything was going wrong!

First, one of his own soldiers had defected, choosing to take up with a _human boy_ instead of members of her own race.

Second, the boy, _who she was supposed to kill,_ turns out to have the Boosted Gear of all things!

Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, the traitor alerted Azazel to Kokabiel's actions! He'd been on the run ever since, and could only barely manage to stay hidden from Azazel's eyes.

Now, he had a new set of problems. He had dispatched another soldier to kill a different sacred gear user, and though this time it was successful, the gear user had been reincarnated as a devil of the Gremory! The Gremory! Of all the accursed Devil families, why that one?

Kokabiel cursed, violently lashing out with his hands in anger.

A communications magic circle started buzzing next to his ear, catching the Fallen's attention. He tapped it, answering the magic call.

{Lord Kokabiel.} It was the same soldier he'd sent to kill the second boy, Kalawarner. He trusted this one.

"I hope you have some good news for me." Kokabiel growled. If anything else went bad, he'd probably just forget his plans and go attack the damn town himself.

{The nun has arrived.}

Kokabiel was silent for a moment, then sighed in relief. He'd been expecting more bad news.

"Excellent. Proceed as planned, with one modification."

{Yes, lord?}

"Let Dohnaseek handle the ritual. Tonight, while he does that, I want you to kill that traitorous bitch and her human toy. Take Mittelt with you. Understand?"

{But, Lord Kokabiel-}

"Let me make myself clear. If you make the same mistake as her, there will be nowhere you can hide. Do you understand?"

{...I understand.}

"Then go."

{Yes, Lord.}

The call ended. Kokabiel laughed.

Finally, something was going his way!

* * *

Raynare opened her eyes. She was in her shared bed, spooning Issei. Apparently, he liked to be the little spoon. Raynare giggled a little, careful not to be too loud. They were totally intertwined, with even their fingers laced together. She remembered slowly falling asleep on the couch, which means he brought her to the bed. The thought of Issei carrying her to the bed like a princess made Raynare want to squeal. She squeezed him tighter.

Raynare was thoroughly enjoying being pretzled with the sleeping Issei, but she craved his attention. So, she decided to wake him up. Not in a normal way, though. She wanted to tease him a little. As close as they were, it was child's play for Raynare to get her mouth to Issei's ear.

So, Raynare nibbled on Issei's ear. He did _not_ have the reaction she expected.

Issei quietly moaned.

Raynare's eyes went wide, and she struggled not to make noise. Her heart started to pound.

Raynare wanted to do it again, to see if she could get him even more worked up. She decided to up the ante. This time, she just _barely_ licked the back of his neck, light enough that she almost thought she missed. She didn't.

Issei moaned again, louder and more intense, but still softly.

Raynare couldn't see his face, from her position behind him, but she was sure he was blushing in his sleep. Raynare knew she had to be blushing. His reaction to her teasing had the angel more than a little hot under the collar. She decided to give it one more go.

She took Issei's right hand, which was still interlaced with her own, and brought it to her face. Raynare extended his index finger, and slowly licked the entire length of it, plating a soft kiss on the tip.

Isse shivered, but didn't react otherwise. Raynare was more excited than he was, at this point. She was all kinds of hot and bothered.

"Raynare?" Issei asked. Raynare nearly jumped out of her skin, she was so startled. She'd been so focusing on trying to arouse the sleeping boy that she didn't notice him wake up. "Why is my finger wet?" He asked, groggy. She giggled.

"Don't worry about it~." Raynare cooed. She took her hands out of his and threw her arms around Issei's chest, pulling him into her even further. She squealed. Issei was hers, and no one else's.

"R-Raynare? A-are you okay?" Issei asked, trying not to focus on Raynare's lady bits. For some reason, he felt a little strange this morning. He guessed it had something to do with the wet feeling on his finger, neck, and ear.

"I'm great~." Raynare said in a sultry voice, nuzzling her head between Issei's shoulder and collarbone. He started laughing uncontrollably. His shoulder was one of his most ticklish spots.

 **[Ahem.]** Ddraigs voice called out, startling both of them.

"Ddraig?" Issei asked, bringing his left arm to his face. He summoned the Boosted Gear, so he could talk with his dragon directly.

 **[The one and only. We've got some things to talk about, I'd say. The Angel and I have gone far too long without properly explaining the world you've found yourself in.]** Ddraig said, Raynare growing a little anxious at the upcoming history lesson. She hoped Ddraig would give it; Raynare wasn't much of a teacher, and she found most of it boring herself. Plus, she was a little miffed the Dragon ruined her fun.

"I guess that would be helpful." Issei said. He still had a lot of blanks unfilled.

 **[Where to begin...I suppose the Great War and the sealing of the Heavenly Dragons would be a good place to start.]**

"Sounds good to me, I guess." Issei replied. He liked learning, but had a feeling he wouldn't enjoy this lesson.

* * *

 _ **One lengthy supernatural history lesson later...**_

* * *

 **[...and that's how the Great War ended.]** Issei groaned, thankful it was finally over.

"Maybe that whole bit about you getting trapped in a fancy glove wouldn't happened if you hadn't thrown a tantrum on the middle of possibly the biggest battlefield ever." Issei said dryly. He was more than a little irritated by the whole speech, which had lasted well over an hour. Ddraig hadn't even let the boy close his eyes, and he never missed a detail. Every engagement, every sabotage, every battlefield of the Great War between the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils was now ingrained in Issei's mind.

"Is it finally over?" Raynare asked, picking her head up off the pillow she'd been 'resting her eyes' on. In reality, she'd gotten bored and went to sleep, leaving Issei to deal with a long-winded Dragon all by himself.

"I hope so." Issei said, rubbing his temples. He had a vicious headache.

 **[That's all, for now. Although I should give you a basic rundown of how the Devils reincarnation works…]** Ddraig started to say, only to be stopped immediately.

"N-no! Raynare's got this one, she can tell me. You...go back to sleep, or whatever it is you do during the day." Issei said.

 **[Hpmh. It might have been boring, but it's stuff you needed to know. I** _ **will**_ **go to sleep now,** _ **thank you.**_ **Dealing with ungrateful kids wears me out.]** Ddraig said, before the Boosted Gear dissipated. Issei sighed in relief.

"Was it that bad?" Raynare asked, cringing.

"It was pretty terrible. Ddraig's smart, though. I'll give him that. He's also crazy _old._ " Issei said. The Dragon's age had shocked him. To be born with the universe, how wild is that?

"How old is he?" Raynare asked, curious. She didn't know how the ages of Dragons worked, exactly.

"Like, a couple thousand years old or something. He weird is that?" Issei asked, scoffing at the insane number. Not only had he estimated Ddraig's approximate age very, very wrong, he'd minorly insulted his girlfriend, who happened to be quite a bit older than 'a couple thousand years.'

Raynare's brow twitched.

"So, you're saying a couple thousand years is old, huh?" Raynare asked, narrowing her eyes at Issei. He got the vibe that he'd said something wrong, but couldn't figure out what.

"Uh...yes? That's pretty old, I think…" Issei said, rubbing the back of his head.

Raynare sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Ddraig had been right, his partner was blissfully uninformed. "Issei, how old do you think I am? Answer honestly."

Issei gulped. He _really_ didn't want to do that. He knew she wasn't his age, since she was an Angel and all, but she couldn't be over 100, right? She'd be a bag of bones, at that point. He remembered her saying something about being an original angel, or was it that she was originally an angel? Issei had no idea.

"Um...75?" Issei said hesitantly.

Raynare laughed out loud. She hadn't expected him to be _that_ wrong. "Issei, all pure-blooded angels like me were born before the Great War. Now, try again. How old is your girlfriend?"

Issei gulped. He hadn't expected her to be _that_ old. Not that it bothered him, he just wanted to be sure he didn't offend her with his next guess. ' _If she was born before the Great War, that had to make her... at least 2100 years old. The Great War had lasted 100 years, and ended in the death of God, around the year 0 AD, so she was at the very least 2100 years old.'_

 _ **(AN: Taking some serious liberties with the Great War here, since there's not much available on it. Bear with me, it's all for the plot!)**_

"Okay, okay...are you...twenty one hundred?" Issei asked, unsure. He really had no idea of her age, and even 2100 was just a shot in the dark.

Raynare sighed. "Issei, this year, in December, I'll turn four-thousand-one-hundred-thirty." Issei gaped at her. "Still think a couple thousand is old?" She asked teasingly. There was no way he could've known how old she was, so there wasn't any point in getting mad at him. Raynare was a tad bit worried at how Issei'd react to her age, but he'd never once given a reason to doubt him, so why start now?

"Wow, that's awesome...so, you've seen the rise and fall of, like, all of the coolest human civilizations?" Issei asked, an excited gleam in his eyes.

Raynare sighed, though she had a smile on her face. ' _Yep, I'm in love with a nerd.'_ "Yeah, I guess. The Romans really knew how to party. Greeks, too. The Aztecs were a little too much into human sacrifice for me." Raynare said, shuddering.

A thought flashed in Issei's mind, and he suddenly grew very solemn. Raynare noticed instantly, of course. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, tilting her head. She shifted in her position. Issei was sitting with his back on their bed's headboard, so she just put her head in his lap, looking up at him. He absentmindedly stroked her silk-soft hair, which had become one of his favorite hobbies recently.

"You've lived such a long time, and I'll only live, like, eighty years, maybe…" Issei said, looking extremely downcast. Raynare giggled at him, re-capturing his attention. She had a face that screamed 'I know something you don't know'.

"Issei, you're not human, you know? With that overblown lizard in your arm, for all intents and purposes, you're a dragon. You've probably got a dragon's lifespan, too. If not, then it's no big deal anyway! Once you're in the supernatural world, it's child's play to extend your lifespan. I could probably just ask Azazel to hook you up, if nothing else. Don't you worry about how long you're gonna live. We've got a long happy life together ahead of us, so don't go trying to get out of it now." Raynare said, a smile on her face. Issei visibly perked up at her words.

"Thanks, Raynare."

"Mhmm."

"So...as a dragon, am I superhuman or anything?"

"I dunno. Do you feel superhuman?"

"Not really."

"Then probably not. You are looking a bit muscular, though. More than when we first met. It suits you." Raynare said, putting her hand on Issei's arms. True to her word, the once-scrawny boy was filling out with lean muscle, most likely due to Ddraig's power. Issei hadn't noticed, himself.

They were silent for a time, both content to just sit in each other's company. After a few minutes, Issei broke the silence.

"Why in the world would you show me that horrible anime last night?" Issei asked out of nowhere, making Raynare laugh.

"I thought you'd like it." She said, giggling.

"I did like it, and then I didn't. Now I don't know how I feel."

"You sound like an angsty teen."

"I am an angsty teen."

Raynare laughed out loud. "That's fair." Issei smiled, glad Raynare appreciated his slightly self-deprecating joke.

Issei spied the jewelry he'd bought her, gleaming on her chest, the silver and white a bright contrast to the black of her silken nightwear. He reached to the pendant, and held it in his hand. The shape of the wings and heart really spoke to him, and he knew it hit Raynare just right too. "I see you're wearing the necklace." Issei said.

"Of course I am. I enchanted it, too." Raynare said, watching Issei touch the necklace on her chest. Issei looked puzzled.

"Enchanted?" He asked, curious.

"Mhmm. It'll never break now, unless someone really powerful smashes it. So, I can wear it all the time without worrying about the chain getting damaged." Raynare said, smiling brightly.

"That's great. I didn't know you could do that."

"There's a lot you don't know I can do."

"Anything in particular?" Issei asked, eager to see inside his girlfriend's massive bag of tricks.

"Hmm...how about this?" Raynare asked. She held her right hand outstretched, and a bright red spear made of pure light began to form, pointed straight up, towards the ceiling. It was almost completely crimson, but had streaks of bright whitish gold in it, which surprised Raynare. It had only been red, before.

Issei marveled at it, in awe at the sight of the jagged and beautiful spear. He reached out to touch it, running his fingers lightly across the surface of the weapon. "It's warm…" He commented breathlessly.

"Weapons of light are the main weapon of Angels, both Fallen and Pure. " Raynare explained, happy her lover was intrigued by her display.

"Amazing…" Issei said, enthralled by the beauty of the spear. From what Raynare said, this was the core of her very being. Her essence as a Fallen Angel, as a living being. He was extremely happy to have the chance to see it.

"I"m glad you think so. They're individual to each Fallen. Pure Angels all have the same kind of spear, but Fallen Angels' are unique. What you're feeling is my pure magical essence, basically my personality."

"No wonder it's so beautiful…" Issei said, examining the spear.

Raynare blushed. Of _course_ he'd say something like that. He didn't even have to think about it. Issei knew what to say to make her melt without even trying. Raynare touched the bottom tip of the floating spear with her finger, and it dispersed into bright red and gold motes of light, showering the room in a beautiful glow. Issei watched on with awe.

"Alright, that was pretty awesome." Issei said, sitting back against the headboard of their bed.

Raynare laughed. "Issei, that wasn't really all that cool. All Fallen can do that." Raynare said.

"Still, though. Your spear was gorgeous. I could look at the other Fallens' spears all day, and none of them would come close to you or yours." Issei said, looking down at her in his lap, smiling.

"Really? You liked my light show that much?" Raynare asked him quietly.

"Mhmm. Your spear will always have a special place in my heart."

Raynare giggled. There was some dramatic irony in there, somewhere.

 **[If you two lovelizards are done, there's someone at the door.]** Ddraig announced, startling the pair.

Raynare and Issei got up from the bed, begrudgingly, and moved to the main room. Sure enough, as soon as they got there, a knock resounded from the door. Issei moved to open it, Raynare standing back. As the door swung open, it revealed a beautiful blue-haired woman in a red leather outfit that left very little to the imagination. Issei gaped, and Raynare moved instantly in front of him, blocking him from the blue-haired woman.

"Kalawarner?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Raynare yelled, shielding Issei with her own body.

Kalawarner made no move forward. She stood in the doorway, trying to think of what to say. After a few tense moments of silence, she opened her mouth hesitantly, finally deciding on the words to use.

"Raynare, Kokabiel has ordered the two of you dead." Kalawarner said, quickly. She didn't say anything else, just waited for their reactions.

"That's not possible. I told Azazel what he's been doing, he should be in prison by now. Are you telling me Kokabiel is still active?!" Raynare yelled. If that was true, her and Issei weren't safe. Not even almost.

"Azazel's been hunting him, but he's still free. He's ordered Mittelt and I to kill you and Issei tonight."

Raynare narrowed her eyes at the other Fallen. Issei finally understood what was going on. Kalawarner was one of the members of this "Kokabiel's" other Fallen faction, the one Raynare betrayed. Issei summoned the Boosted Gear, not sure what would happen.

"And? What will you do?" Raynare asked quietly. She'd always been friends with Kalawarner, but she would not _hesitate_ to kill her if the she tried to hurt Issei.

"I...I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to, I really don't." Kalawarner spoke, quietly. She looked like she wanted to cry. "If I don't, he'll kill me."

"If you do, I'll kill you." Raynare said shortly. She had absolutely _zero_ tolerance for anyone who'd try to hurt her lover. If Kalawarner gave her half a reason, she'd ram a light spear through the blue-haired Fallen's heart faster than you can say 'tragedy.'

A tear fell from Kalawarner's eye. She didn't want to die, and she didn't want to fight her friend.

She didn't know what to do.

Issei sighed. He dispersed the Boosted Gear, and moved around Raynare. He took Kalawarner's hand, and led her inside the apartment, shocking both her and Raynare.

"Issei, what are you doing? She just said she has to kill us!" Raynare said, not understanding why he do something like that. Though, even as she said the words, she knew he'd try to help Kalawarner. He was just too kind.

"She also said she doesn't want to." Issei said. He lead Kalawarner to the bar, where she sat down. Raynare sighed, and sat next to her. Issei sat across from them.

"Stay here with us." Issei said, looking Kalawarner in the eyes.

While shocked at first, Raynare resigned herself to Issei's plan. They were going to try and save her. Issei would never let someone die if he had a choice, provided they weren't his enemy. Kalawarner wasn't his enemy, not yet, and he'd do what he could to make sure it stayed that way.

"W-what?" Kalawarner said, not sure if she even heard him right.

"Stay here with us." Raynare echoed. "You'll be safer from Kokabiel, and you won't have to kill anyone."

"Are you really okay with that?" Kalawarner asked her, unsure.

"Honestly? No." Raynare said, shaking her head. "But, my boyfriend is one of the pickiest people on the planet. He doesn't trust a whole lot of people, especially not women, but he's decided to help you. So, naturally, I'm with him." Raynare said, looking at Issei. He smiled brightly at her.

"I...I don't know...I don't know what to say…" The blue-haired Fallen said, holding back tears. Kalawarner wanted _no part_ of Kokabiel's newest plans, and she knew she'd get killed no matter who's side she took, but if her friend would really offer asylum, she'd take it.

"Say you'll stay, dumbass." Raynare said good-naturedly.

"We've got a spare bedroom and everything." Issei said cheerfully.

"Then...I will. Thank you both!" Kalawarner said, wiping her face.

"So, do you have anything to bring or do you want me to just show you the room?" Raynare asked.

"I've got some stuff packed, I just need to go back to the church and grab it. I considered just straight-up running, so I had most of my things ready to go." Kalawarner said, standing up. Issei and Raynare stood up after her,

"Be safe. We don't know what Kokabiel will do next." Raynare said.

"Well, I do. He's not supposed to be in Kuoh for another week or so, and that was before he was on the run. I doubt he'll come here personally." Kalawarner said.

"Even so, be careful." Issei said.

"Sure thing, handsome." Kalawarner said, winking at Issei. She'd taken a liking to Raynare's new boyfriend. Raynare saw, and narrowed her eyes. Issei blushed and looked to Raynare, who glared at him next. He made a 'I didn't do anything!' gesture with his hands.

"I'll be back soon." Kalawarner said. She snapped her fingers, and teleported away.

Raynare immediately glomped Issei, tackle-hugging him right onto their nearby couch. "You're so damn sweet it makes me want to scream!" Raynare yelled, practically burying herself in the boy. He laughed and flailed about, not in control of his arms. Raynare, in her rapid movements, was violently tickling Issei. She slowly stopped, and just lay still on top of him, enjoying the boy's warmth. Issei breathed heavily, his cheeks red.

"I didn't want your friend to get killed." Issei said, after a bit.

Raynare looked surprised. "How'd you know she was my friend? You've never even met her, I thought."

"She wouldn't have come to warn us if she wasn't close to you. Plus, you mentioned her when we were talking to Sona."

Raynare wanted to kick herself for asking such a stupid question. "O-oh, right."

"Do you think she was the one who killed Matsuda?" Issei asked. "Sona did say she had blue hair."

"I guess so. Like I said yesterday, I don't know why she would, but it's likely."

"I should give her a high five when she gets back."

Raynare laughed. "I agree."

* * *

Kalawarner teleported back into her room at the church, giddy. She'd been searching for a way out of Kokabiel's grasp for some time, and finally she had one. She'd even considered joining the devils, at one point. That wasn't a problem, any more. She collected all her things, and put them in the mostly-packed suitcase that was already on her bed.

"Going somewhere?" A voice asked. Kalawarner was bent over her suitcase, facing away from the door, so she never noticed it open or someone walk in.

A single tear rolled down Kalawarner's face as she recognized the voice.

Kokabiel walked forward, and put his hand around Kalawarner's neck as she turned to face him. He lifted her high into the air, choking her. She flailed her arms around, panicking, but he wasn't budging.

"You disappoint me, Kalawarner. I thought I could trust you. I warned you, didn't I? I told you what would happen. And now, I have to make an example out of you." Kokabiel said, shaking his head. Kalawarner looked to the door to see Dohnaseek and Mittelt looking at her with scared expressions on their faces. She reached out to them, asking for help, but they didn't respond. They just watched.

Kokabiel looked at them. "This is what happens to traitors. Watch well." Kokabiel said to the pair of Fallen in the door.

Kalawarner heard a disgusted snap, and the most agonizing pain she'd ever felt snaked up her neck. The last thing she ever saw in the world was Kokabiel's sneer, and everything faded to black.

 ** _Chapter 12, END._**

 **Did anyone catch the irony behind Issei's 'place in my heart' line? I was giggling a bit as I wrote that, honestly. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the real chapter 12! Stay tuned for more!**


	13. Completely normal church business

_**Alright, so a few of you (most of you) didn't like how chapter 12 turned out. That's fine. In response, I wrote THREE DRAFTS of this chapter, trying to make it as awesome as possible, so I hope you all like it. This is definitely the best draft I wrote, in my opinion. Also, It's the longest chapter yet, with 8,500 words before my AN's.**_

 ** _Now, the only thing is, I wrote it on a mobile app because I'm on vacation. That means that it will probably be filled with plot holes and typos galore. My only request is, if you spot something wrong, please, PLEASE send me a PM instead of leaving a nasty review. Not only will I reply to you, I'll go back and fix the problem. I've done it a few times already. Thanks in advance._**

 _ **HUGE shout out to "54M43L" (Guest) for writing basically an essay as a review. He/She made some awesome suggestions, and I can't think her/him enough. I actually, out of curiosity, plugged their review into a word counter, and it ended up being 901 words. That's like, a page and a half on google docs. Thank you soo much for taking the time to write that!**_

 ** _Okay then, that's all for now_** ** _. On with the show!_**

* * *

When Kalawarner opened her eyes, all she could see was darkness. Slowly, as her vision swam, the world came into focus. She was in a dark room, entirely concrete, dangling from the ceiling via chains wrapped tight around her ankles. Her arms were chained to the floor in a similar fashion, leaving no room for her to even struggle, much less escape. She tried to call out, only to realize her mouth was taped shut.

Kalawarner didn't understand what was happening. She knew she died; no questions there. You don't just walk away from having your throat crushed, supernatural being or not. What she _didn't_ know is how she was now alive, or why she was in chains.

A crack of light illuminated the dark room. The sharp contrast between the bright light and the bleak darkness hurt her eyes, but she looked on anyway, trying to get a glimpse of who was approaching.

"Awake, are we? Good…" The newcomer said, slowly. She didn't recognize the person's voice, not at first. When she did, she had to struggle to stay calm.

Freed Sellzen, exiled exorcist and torturer extraordinaire, stood in front of her dressed in his long black coat and holding a large dagger. Kalawarner's eyes went wide and she struggled violently against her restraints.

"No, no, no. You're not going anywhere, not yet. We've gotta have some fun, first. Asia didn't go through all the trouble of healing you just for us to let you go again. See, Kokabiel wasn't happy about what you tried to do, but he's decided to forgive you. That being sa~id, he still wants to make sure you don't decide to run off again. So! Just a little round of conditioning with yours truly and you'll be back on the winning team, mkay?" Freed exclaimed.

On the last word of his sentence, he drove the dagger into her leg, making her scream and flail about. Tears poured down from the upside-down Fallen's eyes, blinding her.

"Oh Asia, wouldn't you come patch up our friend? She seems to be in a bit of a rough patch." Freed said in a sing-song voice, laughing maniacally as he ripped the dagger from Kalawarner's leg. A terrified looking blonde girl in a nun's habit approached the writhing Fallen, looking apprehensively at Freed. The girl, Asia, put her hands up to the Fallen's heavily bleeding leg, and two rings appeared on both her middle fingers and began to shine with a bright green light. The gouge in Kalawarner's leg started to rapidly close, healing quickly.

If Kalawarner was capable of coherent thought at this point, she'd be surprised at the fact that the blonde girl was actually healing her. Once she realized that, she would've been terrified by the revelation that Asia was only healing her so Freed could hurt her _more._

Once finished healing Kalawarner's leg, Asia stepped back. She herself was crying, and tears flowed freely down her face. The timid girl wanted no part in what Freed was doing, but if she could use her power to grant the chained Fallen even a small bit of relief, she'd do it. Even _if_ the Fallen had been planning to kill her for that same power.

Kalawarner calmed down enough to think rationally, assisted by the numbing effect of Asia's healing abilities. She was _just_ coherent enough to register what was happening as Freed's dagger ripped into her again, this time in her stomach. Freed cackled as the Fallen's blood poured over his hands, and Asia screamed while Kalawarner thrashed against her chains.

Asia began to frantically heal her while Freed leaned in close to her face. "Oh, Kalawarner. We are going to have such fun, you and I…" Freed whispered in her ear, before taking a syringe out of his coat pocket. He wiped her eyes clear, so she could see what he was doing. Kalawarner recoiled at his touch, but was filled with even more dread at the sight of a filled needle in the exorcists' hand. She tried to her hardest to scream as Freed pushed the needle into her neck, not being careful or gentle in the slightest. Kalawarner finally managed to get the tape off her mouth just as Freed took the needle out.

She screamed louder than she ever had in her life.

Freed laughed.

"What did you do to me you bastard?! What the hell was in that needle?!" Kalawarner screamed, struggling against the chains.

"Just something to make you a little more...interesting. Be lucky that this was all Kokabiel told me to put in you. You're just my type." Freed said, running his fingers down Kalawarner's chest.

"Father Freed, this is wrong! You shouldn't be doing this!" Asia exclaimed, finally working up the nerve to speak out against the horrible man. She was rewarded for her bravery with a hard backhanded slap to the face, sending her sprawling on the hard stone floor.

"Shut up! Unless you want to be next, keep your trap shut and do as I say!" Freed growled, glaring at the girl. He turned back to Kalawarner, who had begun twitching violently. "Oh, yes...I can see you're about to ready to cause mayhem...well, let's have a little more fun before that, okay?" Freed cooed, whispering directly into Kalawarner's ear. She tried to scream, but she suddenly couldn't even manage so much as a groan.

"Now, let's get back to it."

* * *

Issei checked the time on his phone, biting the fingernails on his other hand.

Kalawarner had been gone for almost nine hours. It was already dusk, and they hadn't seen or heard from her other than when she came to their house.

Issei knew that she was probably in trouble. This Kokabiel seemed like bad business, and if he'd discovered that Kalawaner was also planning on betraying him, he would be none too happy. She'd said that he wasn't supposed to be at their Kuoh base, but it was always possible that he had shown up.

Issei put his phone away, and looked at the hand he'd been chewing on. His nails were gnawed past his fingertips. He barely even knew Kalawarner, but he was beyond worried she'd gotten herself hurt.

"We've gotta help her, right? I mean, she's your friend…" Issei said, pacing around the living room in circles.

"She is, but if there's even a one percent chance that Kokabiel's at that church, we're not going anywhere near it. I won't let you. I value your life far more than hers, Issei." Raynare said, walking to her nervous boyfriend, who was wearing a path into the floor of the penthouse by this point. She hugged Issei, trying to calm him down. "Besides, she made her choice. How important could a suitcase have been, anyway, to risk being captured or killed? She should've just stayed here." Raynare said, stroking his hair.

"I know, but still…" Issei said, letting his girlfriend console him. She pulled away from him, and took his hands in hers. He wouldn't meet her gaze, and stared at the floor.

"Hey. Look." Raynare said, tilting her head to look Issei in the eyes. "She doesn't matter anyway. I made the choice to abandon the other fallen and everyone else when I decided to be with you. What they do, that's up to them. All that I'm worried about is you. Got it?" Raynare said, pulling issei close.

Issei buried his head in Raynare's shoulder. As strange as it sounded, the smell of Raynare's raven hair comforted him greatly, and as he breathed in her scent, he calmed down.

"You're right. Of course, you're right." Issei pulled away from Raynare and sat down on their couch, Raynare sitting down beside him.

"Why do you even want to save Kalawarner so bad? You've known her for less than an hour." Raynare asked.

"We offered her protection, and now she's probably been captured or worse. It just doesn't sit right with me, that's all. Imagine what she must be going through." Issei replied. He idly rubbed circles into the back of Raynare's hand.

"You're not wrong, she probably isn't having a blast. Especially if the exorcist Freed Sellzen is still there. But, there's not much we can do, so there's no point in tearing yourself up over it. Kokabiel is way out of our league. We're nowhere near powerful enough to take down someone on his level."

"Yeah. I've only got the gauntlet, after all." Issei agreed. They'd stand a snowball's chance in Hell against such a powerful foe.

 **['Only' got the gauntlet? Yeah, you've 'only' got a God-Killing Dragon Arm, you poor thing.]**

"Ddraig's right. That gauntlet isn't something to be laughed at." Raynare said. The last thing she wanted was for Issei to underestimate himself.

 **[Damn straight. We'll be a regular powerhouse once you get off your ass and start training.]** Ddraig said.

"You could probably handle everyone in the church except Kokabiel on your own. Not to mention…" Raynare started. She sat up straight on the couch, and six black feathered wings sprouted out of her back, surprising Issei. "I'm not exactly weak myself. When you've been alive for as long as I have, you tend to end up a little strong. " Raynare said, shuffling her wings. She stretched her rightmost wings out and covered Issei with them, making him laugh and push them away.

"I thought you only had two wings, not six?" Issei remarked, holding two of her right wings out of the way of his face but not having enough arms to keep the third from repeatedly poking him in the nose.

"I'm insulted. Only the weakest Fallen have two wings. One pair is a low tier Fallen, two is mid tier, three is high tier, four is an ultra tier, five is Cadre tier, and Six is Seraph tier. Azazel is the only six winged Fallen I know of." Raynare explained, continually nudging Issei with her middle right wing and trying not to laugh.

"Oh. Cool." Issei said, focusing on her intrusive wing. She giggled at him as he tried to keep hands on her top and bottom wings while the middle one danced around his face, tickling his nose and almost making him sneeze. Finally, Issei decided to play his trump card, and grabbed her meddling wing with his mouth, careful to keep his teeth back so as not to bite her.

"Oh~!" Raynare moaned out, not expecting the fantastic sensation. "I-Issei, an Angel's wings are very s-sensitive, just so you k-know…" She breathed out, trying to keep her cool and not pounce him as a thick blush graced her face.

A matching blush appeared on Issei's face as her realized what she meant, and he quickly let go of the three of her wings and scooted to the edge of the couch.

"Phew...as much as I'd _love_ to continue that, we do have problems right now. Though, if you want to keep going, we could put them off for a bit~." Raynare cooed, her face red and her breathing heavy.

"P-pass. Okay, okay. Let's focus. There's got to be something we can do, right?" Issei said, trying to turn the subject back to the elephant in the room.

Raynare breathed heavily for a moment, collecting herself. "I can't think of anything. Azazel probably wouldn't come here to fight Kokabiel himself, the battle would be too catastrophic and he wouldn't risk that for a two-winged fallen like Kalawarner. If we tried to get Sona or Rias' group to attack the church, not only would they not have any real reason to help, we'd probably be sending them to their deaths. I think we should have them come here, and help us prepare for an attack. Or, maybe not, since it's only two of them attacking, at most..." Raynare said, thinking. Her natural skill with tactics and planning came out in force.

"...I think you're right. But would they really come? We didn't exactly leave on the best page."

"I think they would if we made it worth their while."

"How's that? I don't think money would matter, Rias seems pretty rich…"

"A favor."

"That's it?"

"A favor from the Red Dragon is worth more than gold, Issei. You're literally a one man army, or you _will be_ , at least."

"I don't feel like a one man army."

"Well not now, of course. We're just sitting on the couch. But I've come into contact with full-fledged Red Dragon Emperors in the heat of their battles, and it's a sight to see. Not to mention, I had the displeasure of seeing Ddraig himself in all his fury during the Great War. Talk about terrifying." Raynare said with a shudder. Ddraig chuckled from within Issei's gauntlet.

"So, we should call one of the devil's peerages here, then? And offer them a favor in return?"

"Or…" Raynare started, seemingly thinking something over.

"Or?"

"Or, we send them to the church, then send Azazel after them." Raynare said, grinning. "That way, any devils we send wouldn't be killed, and Azazel would have enough leverage to go after Kokabiel, under the guise of protecting the Devil King's sister."

"That's...devious."

"Isn't it?" Raynare said, smirking.

"It is devious, and I'm so glad I caught wind of it before you tried it." A voice said from behind the couch, startling Issei and Raynare. Both jumped up, readying their respective weapons, only to see Azazel grinning. "Yo." The Commander in Chief of the Fallen said, flashing a peace sign. A green teleportation sigil faded beneath him. Issei sighed, and fell back on the couch. Raynare sat beside him, grumbling.

"Does just anyone come here nowadays?" Issei asked, rubbing his forehead. His complaint went unheeded.

"So I guess that's a no-go?" Raynare asked the man, who sat down opposite them on the other couch.

"Oh yeah, definitely a no-go. You know very well if I engage Kokabiel, the fallout would be ridiculous. Everyone this side of Tokyo would know about it. I can't personally attack him, devils or no devils. Sorry. Why do you need to get inside that church, anyway?" Azazel asked. He'd dropped by to tell Issei something, but found them in the middle of a far more interesting conversation.

"One of our friends is captured inside." Issei explained.

"Oh, okay. That makes a solid amount of sense." Azazel said, nodding.

"So you can't personally help us?" Raynare asked.

"Not with Kokabiel. If a bunch of his lackeys were to show up here, I could totally destroy them without a fuss, but not a Cadre. The battle would be too much."

"Damn…" Raynare sighed. "Well then, I should tell you we're expecting an attack here. Unless we attack first, I guess."

"Really? Who's attacking? Not Kokabiel himself, surely?" Azazel asked, interested.

"I hope not. No, just Mittelt and possibly Kalawarner as far as we know."

"Both two winged angels?"

"Yeah."

"Just stomp them flat and move on." Azazel said dismissively, waving his hand.

"I guess that's probably what's going to happen."

"How'd you even get that information? How'd you find out they're going to attack, I mean." Azazel said. He still had several blanks about the whole situation.

"Kalawarner came here to warn us." Issei said.

"Alright, I'm officially confused. Is this Kalawarner on your side or not?" Azazel asked.

"Maybe. She came here, and we offered her asylum instead of playing pawn for Kokabiel. She accepted, and went back the church to get her things, but hasn't come back yet. It's been almost nine hours, already." Raynare explained.

"So she's the one that you're rescuing. Didn't you just say she was going to attack with Mittelt?" Azaze asked.

"She _might_. Still a bunch of unknowns here." Raynare said.

"Maybe she was just scouting you out, and she's actually fine." Azazel offered.

"I don't think so. That wasn't the vibe I got. I think she got back, and they discovered she was turning traitor, so they captured her." Issei said.

"So you don't _know_ she's in a pinch. Okay, I think I understand the situation, but humor me. What's stopping you from knocking down the door of the church and going to get her, captured or not?" Azazel asked, rubbing his goatee.

"The only real problem is Kokabiel. Aside from him, no one in that church is really a threat. If we could get him away, it would be simple to get inside." Raynare explained.

"That is quite the predicament." Azazel said. He had a grin at the edges of his mouth, like he knew something they didn't. No one noticed.

"There's got be _something_ we can do, right?" Issei asked. He already wasn't okay with letting Kalawarner be captured, but now that it was implied she was being tortured, the thought of just sitting around and waiting made him feel sick.

"Oh, don't worry. There's someone doing something...right...about…" Azazel checked his watch. "...Now." Raynare and Issei looked at each other, not really understanding.

"Who?" Raynare asked. "And what?"

"The White One is currently engaging Kokabiel." Raynare gaped, and Issei's eyes went wide. "I'd brought him with me exclusively for that, but I didn't have any idea it would help you too." Azazel said with a big smile.

"Seriously? If he's dealing with Kokabiel, there's nothing stopping us from going to save Kalawarner!" Issei said, standing up. He'd only known the blue-haired Fallen for all of about ten minutes, but if he had a chance to save someone from torture or death, he'd take it. Not to mention, she was Raynare's friend.

"Yup. Consider this my gift to you, for getting good with the devils. I owed you one." Azazel said, nodding to Issei. "I've got something else for you, too. Have Raynare teach you how to contact me, and when you've got a moment, give me a call. I came up with something you'd want to hear." Azazel said, giving Issei a thumbs up, which the boy returned.

"Thanks, Azazel." Raynare said. Issei echoed her.

"Well, I better get going. Shemhazai doesn't know I'm gone, and if I'm not back in time for his meeting, he'll blow a gasket. Peace out, and...be careful." Azazel said before standing and teleporting away.

"Okay, okay. New plan. While the White Dragon attacks Kokabiel, we'll get the with the devils and go to the church. We'll save Kalawarner and anyone else they have locked up, and get out. Sound good?" Raynare said, standing up and stretching her wings before retracting them. Issei nodded resolutely.

"Great. Okay, give Rias a call. Or Sona. Up to you really. I'd rather Sona, but Rias would be more likely to help us with the promise of a reward, I'd bet." Raynare said while Issei pulled out his phone.

"I think Rias would be better. We're already good with Sona, we need to get closer with Rias' peerage. Plus, I don't know about you, but I'd much rather risk someone from Rias' group than Sona's. Sona is actually pleasant to be around." Issei said. Raynare grinned at him.

"Getting a naughty streak, are we?" Raynare asked, liking the darker side of her normally kind boyfriend.

"I'd rather nobody get hurt, but if I had to choose someone to sacrifice, it would definitely be Rias or that queen of hers, no doubt." Issei said, nodding. With that in mind, he dialed Rias' number.

(Hello?) Rias answered.

"Hey Gremory, it's Issei Hyoudou."

(Oh, hello Hyoudou. How are you?)

"I'm alright. Gremory, I need to ask a favor of you."

(What do you need? Also, could you just call me Rias? I'm not a particular fan of my family name.)

"Uh, sure thing. Call me Issei, I guess. Anyway, a comrade of ours has been captured by the Fallen in the church. We've got it from Azazel himself that Kokabiel is occupied somewhere else, so it's the perfect opportunity to rescue her, and we'd like your help."

(...I'd like to help you, Issei, but I'm afraid we can't do something like that for nothing in return…)

"Oh don't worry, it's not for nothing. I'll owe you a favor. I'm told a favor from the Red Dragon carries a lot of weight."

(...That it does. Okay, we'll help you. Who is this comrade, if you don't mind my asking?)

Issei's thoughts came to a screeching halt. He'd forgotten all about Kalawarner's interactions with the Gremory group. She'd straight up _killed_ one of their members. Issei cursed silently, and mouthed the word ' _shit'_ to Raynare, who made a 'what's the problem?' gesture. Issei put his finger up, and tried to think of a response.

(Issei, are you there?)

"I'm...I'm here. Rias, if I told you the comrade was the same angel who killed Matsuda, would you still help us?"

(...Issei, I don't think I can. She murdered him.)

"On Kokabiel's orders! Now she's being tortured by his lackeys!"

(That may be, but I can't just rescue my servant's killer like that. I just...I'll ask him what he thinks, hold on.)

Issei sighed, and pulled the phone from his face.

"What's the problem?" Raynare asked. She'd gotten a little bit from Issei's side of the conversation, but not all of it.

"We overlooked the minor fact that Kalawarner killed Matsuda."

"Oh. Oops."

"Yeah. Oops."

(Issei?) Issei raised the phone back to his face.

"I'm here."

(We'll help you, but you're going to have to make good on that favor. I've got a rating game coming up soon, and I'll need you and your girlfriend to be proxy pieces in my peerage.)

"I don't know what that means, but okay. Whatever it takes, as long as it doesn't mean we become devils ourselves."

(Then we're in agreement. We'll come to your place, send me an address.)

"Sure thing. I'll text it to you here in a second. Thanks, Rias."

(Of course.) The call ended, and Issei sent over the address.

"So we're good? What did she ask you for?" Raynare asked

"She wants us to be 'proxy pieces' in a 'rating game,' whatever that stuff means."

"Oh. That's not that bad, actually. We just have to fight on her team in what's essentially a gladiatorial deathmatch without the death bit."

"Oh. Fun."

"That's not as bad as it could've been. She could've asked us to join her peerage."

"I'm glad she didn't. I have zero interest in being one of her slaves."

"That makes two of us. So, did she say she was on her way, or what?" Raynare asked.

As if on cue, a bright red sigil started shining in the middle of the room, taking up a large amount of the floor. Issei and Raynare stepped back, both of them suddenly glad they'd gotten dressed earlier after Kalawarner left instead of staying in pajamas.

Five people came out of the magic circle. Rias, Akeno, and Matsuda, all of whom Issei recognized, but the last two, he didn't know. There was a pretty blonde boy, and a small white-haired girl. The circle faded away.

"So, we're rescuing the bitch that ganked me. You're lucky I'm in a forgiving mood, Hyoudou." Matsuda said.

"Thanks for coming. I know this will be hard for you." Issei said, nodding to the boy. Matsuda narrowed his eyes, not expecting the camaraderie.

"Yeah…" Matsuda replied, not expecting Issei to say anything other than 'go to hell.'

"Well, Issei. We're here. Allow me to formally introduce the rest of my peerage." Rias said, gesturing to the people beside her.

"This is Koneko Toujou, my Rook." The white haired girl gave a halfhearted wave, and didn't say anything.

"This is Kiba Yuuto, my Knight." The blonde boy waved also, though far more enthusiastic about it than the little girl.

"It's good to meet you both." Issei said, nodding to them.

"Hi, Issei." Akeno said, giving him a flirtatious wink. She liked him, she just didn't like his choice in company.

"I don't remember saying you could use my first name." Issei said, narrowing his eyes at her. He _definitely_ wasn't over her comment about Raynare being a pet. Akeno pursed her lips, miffed her attempt at being nice was so offhandedly deflected.

Raynare was surprised at his comment. She was happy he'd said it, but she never expected him to openly berate her like that. Two weeks ago, he was afraid to even talk to women, and now he could sass one he barely knew without a second thought? ' _He's making serious progress.'_ Raynare thought.

"Okay, so here's the situation. Kokabiel is being engaged by the White Dragon Emperor as we speak, so we literally could not have a better opportunity to rescue Kalawarner. I know you've got bad blood with her, but I promise you she was only acting under orders." Raynare explained.

"We understand. We're ready when you are." Rias said, crossing her arms and nodding.

Raynare glanced at Issei, asking him a nonverbal question. He nodded to her, a fire in his eyes like she'd only seen a couple of times.

"I'll teleport us, then." Raynare said, and moved close the peerage. Akeno visibly recoiled from her proximity, earning a glare from Issei, but she moved back into position swiftly. Issei moved next to Raynare, and Rias' peerage stood behind them both. Raynare let out her six wings, and a large green Fallen magic circle appeared beneath them all. Several moments later, and they were all outside an overgrown and abandoned church.

"I didn't know your girlfriend had six wings. That's quite impressive." Rias whispered to Issei, quietly enough so Raynare couldn't hear. He turned to her, a grin on his face.

"Isn't she great?" He asked, before looking back to the church. Raynare walked in front, the others all following behind her.

They all approached the large doors of the church, and everyone shared a glance before the small girl, Koneko, walked up and kicked the doors off their hinges. Issei marveled at her strength, as no one had actually told him what it meant when Rias said she was a rook.

Inside the church, was a large room with ruined pews, statues, and art. Several of the stone statues were slashed in half, and all of the furniture around the room were in various states of disrepair. At the far end of the room, near the mostly-destroyed altar, was a girl in a black dress and a tall guy in priestly robes. They turned to look at the intruders.

"Ah! I was wondering if you'd come! If you didn't show up within the hour, little Mittelt here was going to go kill you and little shit boyfriend, so I'm glad you saved her the trouble!" The priest yelled, taking a gun and sword hilt out of his robes. He pressed a button on the hilt, and a light-blade appeared.

"Freed! You know you can't beat us all, so just get out of the way!" Raynare yelled, spinning up magic circles in her hands.

"Like hell! This angel and I have more than enough firepower between the two of us to kill you, your stud, and your filthy devil friends!" Freed yelled. Mittelt, the small Fallen in the gothic dress, looked hesitant, but when she remembered what happened to Kalawarner, she knew she didn't have a choice. Mittelt summoned her light spear, and set into a fighting stance.

"We'll handle these two. Go on ahead, you guys." Kiba said, Akeno and Koneko flanking him.

"Ooh, three devils? And one bombshell! I think we'll have some extra fun, mmkay?!" Freed yelled, rushing Akeno. She threw her hands up, and formed a barrier to block his attack. At the same time, a light spear slammed into her barrier. Between Freed's attack and Mittelt's, the barrier almost broke, but Kiba quickly attacked Freed, pushing him away from the barrier and giving Koneko and Akeno an opportunity to attack Mittelt.

Attack her they did. Akeno fired a blast of lighting at the Fallen, and Koneko threw a statue at her. Mittelt dodged the statue, but took the bolt of lighting head-on, causing major damage. Akeno laughed as Mittelt screamed in pain.

The statue Koneko had thrown smashed into the altar, destroying it completely and revealing a staircase down. Rias, Matsuda, Raynare and Issei ran past the fight, rushing to the basement of the church.

While the fight raged above, a sinister ritual was enacted below.

The four rushed into the church's massive basement, and were greeted with a horrid sight: a small blonde girl, completely nude, was strung up on a large metal cross. She screamed and writhed, but couldn't get free. In front of the cross, watching with her glee, was a tall man in a fedora and trench coat. Below the cross, down a tall staircase, was an small army of exiled priests, all standing between the group of heroes and the tall man. As the group ran into the room, the tall man saw them, and yelled for the priests to attack. What had to be fifty or more priests surrounded the group, and Rias and Raynare readied magic circles in each hand while Issei and Matsuda summoned their gears.

The noise in the room was intense, with the priests chanting in the ritual and several of them yelling orders and scrambling around to engage the group.

"Asia?! What the hell is that bastard doing?! She's screaming!" Matsuda yelled. He apparently recognized the girl on the cross.

"They're taking her sacred gear!" The ritual will kill her!" Raynare yelled back. She had no idea where all the priests had come from, but she knew what they were doing.

"We've got to help her!" Issei yelled. **[Boost!]**

"We've got this! These ones are no match for us, you two find your friend! Go!" Rias said, yelling. With one twist of her arms, Rias launched a vicious red and black attack that disintegrated a large portion of the priests. Matsuda's dog appeared from out of his own shadow, and wrapped around his arm, forming a longsword.

They all began to cut through the priests, Rias and Matsuda fighting toward the ritual while Raynare and Issei tore a path out behind them so the two of them could get back up the stairs. Issei was up to six boosts by the time they finally got to the stairs again, almost at his limit.

Issei and Raynare ran back up the stairs, Raynare grumbling to herself about how they _just came down those stairs_. Once they reached the top of the large staircase, several moments later, they saw Akeno using small barriers to deflect swing after swing of Freed's light blade, with Kiba and Koneko on the ground nursing large wounds. Mittelt was nowhere to be seen, but there was a large pile of feathers in one corner of the room.

Akeno was clearly on the losing side of the fight. Her clothes were tattered, and Freed wasn't showing any signs of slowing down as he broke barrier after barrier. He let out a yell, and hit her with a strong enough attack that he knocked Akeno to the ground, and moved in to kill her.

"Get away from her!" Raynare yelled, and flew at Freed from behind. He'd been so focused on attacking the Gremory Queen, he had no idea there was someone behind him. When a light spear ripped through his shoulder and tore off his left arm, he screamed and jumped away. He yelled angrily.

"Fuck! Damn IT! I NEEDED THAT ARM TO KILL DEVILS!" Freed yelled, cursing violently. Raynare pulled Akeno up off the ground. Akeno uttered a quick thanks, and went to check on Kiba and Koneko.

"Shit! Shit! Shitty shit shit!" Freed yelled. He reached into his coat as Raynare readied to attack him again. Issei was set to charge the man with his gauntlet, ready to assist Raynare. He never got the chance, as Freed pulled an orb out of his coat and hurled it at the ground. It exploded in a flash of light, and when it cleared, Freed was gone. Raynare cursed, and dispersed her spear. Issei lowered his gauntlet, but didn't unsummon it or reset the counter.

Issei and Raynare shared a glance, and then went into the back rooms of the church. There were iron cells placed frequently in a very long hallway, suggesting the place was used for a bit more than casual worship. Raynare had never actually been into the rear of the church, and she didn't know where to even begin looking for Kalawarner. All the cells were empty, but as the neared the end of the hallway, they came to a closed door made of heavy iron with no windows. The door was cracked, and faint groaning was heard from inside.

Raynare nodded to Issei, and he slowly pushed open the massive door. It would've been heavy, had he not been up to six boosts.

Inside the room, they found Kalawarner dangling from the ceiling and wrapped in chains, with blood all over her. She shivered and groaned, her eyes closed. Raynare gasped, and Issei wanted to throw up.

They ran to her side, Issei grabbing and breaking the chains binding her. As dark as the situation was, he couldn't help but feel awesome at his boosted strength, powerful enough to pull apart chains with his bare hands.

Raynare caught Kalawarner before she fell to the floor, and quickly inspected the groaning girl for any life-threatening wounds.

"This...this doesn't make any sense." Raynare said.

"What doesn't? Is she okay?"

"She's fine! That's what doesn't make sense. There's not a single cut on her. I don't have any idea where all this blood came from." Raynare said, checking the Fallen thoroughly.

Kalawarner coughed. Her eyes opened, slowly. Issei and Raynare both looked at her with anticipation. As she saw the two of them , her eyes went wide. She screamed violently, startling the two of them, and quickly stood up. She screamed at them, and backed away.

"Kalawarner? What the hell is wrong with you?" Raynare asked, confused.

Issei didn't understand what was happening. What had they done to her? "Are you alright? Calm down." Issei said, slowly edging towards her. As he came within a couple feet of the seemingly feral angel, she lunged at him, forming a spear of light in her hands.

"No!" Raynare yelled, jumping at the two of them. Issei dodged aside just in time to prevent the spear hitting his chest, but couldn't avoid damage completely. Kalawarner's spear lacerated his arm, and he started to bleed profusely. Raynare pulled Issei away as soon as she reached him, and sent a swift punch into Kalawarner's face, knocking her into the concrete wall and giving them plenty of time to flee the room.

Issei and Raynare rushed out of the room, slammed the door behind them, and ran down the hallway. They stopped after putting some distance between themselves in the room, Raynare looking Issei's wound over, and quickly used a healing spell to stop the bleeding. He thanked her.

Kalawarner was trying her hardest to open the door. They could hear her running it to it and scratching it, but nothing she did managed to open it.

"What's wrong with her?" Issei asked, panting.

"She's gotta be drugged. She's acting like a beast, and that spear was more powerful than it should've been." Raynare said. They could her growling from the room now, and there was scratching on the door. "That bastard Freed must've done this. There's no telling what all he used on her." Raynare said, gritting her teeth.

"Can we save her?" Issei asked.

"I...I don't know. It would be safer to just kill her." Raynare said, forming a spear in her hands. Even as Raynare said the words, she knew she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to kill her friend, and Issei knew it too.

"You don't really want to do that, though. Do you? I know you want to protect me, but I can tell you don't really want to kill your friend. We'll fix her, and you won't have to kill anyone." Issei said, taking Raynare's hand. He pushed her spear out of her hand with his, dropping it to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes. He knew more about her feelings than she did, at this point. Raynare wrapped her boyfriend in a tight hug.

 **[Reset!]** Suddenly it was a much looser hug, as Issei fell onto his knees. She laughed, despite the situation, and brought him to his feet. Issei threw his hand over her shoulder with his good arm, his right, and they walked back into the room with the destroyed altar.

"You damn devils! I'll kill you all!" They walked into the main room of the church just in time to see the last Fallen, the tall man that was conducting the ritual, take a direct hit in the chest from Rias Gremory's red and black magic. It tore a hole clean through his torso, and the Fallen exploded into black feathers.

Rias sighed, and stood down. Upon seeing Issei and Raynare, she ran over to them. Behind her, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Matsuda stood around the blonde girl from the ritual lying with her eyes closed on what remained of a pew. They all sported various wounds, though none were even almost fatal.

"Are you both all right?" Rias asked, looking them over.

"We're...fine. Kalawarner...drugged…" Issei said, panting. He was exhausted, and could barely handle his words.

"Kalawarner is in there, in a cell. She was drugged by Freed, and she's absolutely feral. We've gotta find some way to calm her down." Raynare said, pointing to where they'd just come from.

"...Alright. If you can get her to stay still long enough, I have a spell to clear someone's system of any drug." Rias said.

Issei, as worn out as he was, had enough energy to give Rias a 'what the hell for?' look.

Rias noticed. "We're sometimes called to get rid of someone's addiction. It's an entirely wholesome spell." She said to him. "The only thing is, it takes a minute. You'll have to restrain her, and it doesn't feel great. She won't lie down and take it." Rias explained. Raynare nodded. She looked to Issei, who was basically riding on her shoulder at this point.

"Can you keep going?" Raynare asked. She didn't want to push him, but she needed his help. From the looks of the devils, they wouldn't be able to handle keeping Kalawarner at bay.

 **[Boost!]** Ddraig called out. Issei had been about to say 'no' but Ddraig boosted him again, against his will. Suddenly, he could stand again, though his muscles still felt more sore than they ever had.

"I guess so." Issei said, groaning and flexing his hands.

"Koneko, can you come with us? Akeno, stay here and wait for the girl to wake up." Rias asked and ordered. Koneko walked over to the three of them, and they all started back down the hallway.

"Okay, so we've got to beat her up a little bit and keep her down while Rias casts her spell. Simple enough." Raynare said.

The door was still closed, and they could still hear the poor woman behind it. She was groaning and scratching at the door, trying her hardest to get out. Issei, who was now back up to three boosts, walked to the door, and pushed it open quickly, hitting Kalawarner with it and sending her sprawling backwards.

Issei and Koneko rushed in, trying to grab the flailing Kalawarner, but she kicked Issei in the stomach and threw Koneko across the room. Kalawarner jumped to her feet, charging at Issei with a light spear in hand. Raynare was the in a flash, crossing her own spear with Kalawarners.

"Kalawarner- calm down! We're trying to help you!" Raynare yelled. Kalawarner stopped snarling for a second and stalled, pausing her attack for long enough that Raynare disarmed her and sent a swift kick to her midriff, making her double over. Raynare grabbed her hair and forced her to the ground, putting her knee on Kalawarner's back to stop her from getting up. The woman writhed and thrashed. Issei and Koneko ran over to help.

"It hurts... it hurts...help me, HELP ME!" Kalawarner started frantically yelling while Raynare fought to keep her on the floor. Koneko grabbed her legs, and Issei tried to keep her arms contained. Even at four boosts, it was quite the challenge, and he had no idea how Koneko was managing both legs with no problems.

"Rias, do it!" Raynare yelled. Rias quickly kneeled down by Kalawarner, initiating her spell. Kalawarner starting struggling even harder than before as Rias' spell began to purge her body. She screamed and flailed about, striking Issei and Koneko several times in her fit.

Several intense moments later, Kalawarner let out one final yell, and stopping moving.

"It's done. She should be fine now, I think." Rias said, finishing the spell.

Kalawarner lay flat against the ground, breathing heavily. Issei and Koneko let go of her, and Raynare got off her back. Raynare kneeled beside the blue haired woman.

"Kalawarner? Can you hear me?" Raynare asked, looking down at her.

Kalawarner groaned, and turned her head up so she could see who was speaking. "R...Raynare? Is that you?" She asked, scared.

Raynare laughed in relief. "Yeah, it's me." She said. Issei came over, and kneeled beside Raynare.

"You both...came to save me?" Kalawarner asked, looking up at them.

"Sure did." Issei said, smiling.

"T...thank you!" Kalawarner yelled, bursting into tears. She threw her arms around Issei's leg, much to his surprise.

"We'll be waiting in there." Rias said, smiling. She and Koneko left, going back into the main room.

"Okay, okay. Can you stand?" Issei asked. Kalawarner tried to stand on her shaking legs, only to fall back down. Issei caught her before she hit the ground, then had to be caught himself as Ddraig once again announced **[Reset!]**

Raynare laughed at the two of them in a heap on the ground. She stood up, then bent down to help the two of them up. They both took one of her hands. The three of them walked out, Raynare at the center while Issei and Kalawarner both had an arm over her.

"You are so going to feel this tomorrow, Issei. Most of the time, an untrained Red Dragon can only reset once before needing to rest. Tomorrow definitely won't be fun for you." Raynare said.

Issei halfheartedly laughed, but didn't have enough gas left in him to respond. Raynare was more dragging him than she was helping him walk, but she didn't mind.

Back in the main room, Rias Gremory was assembled with her entire peerage, as well as the blonde girl who had been the target of the ritual. She was now standing, and healing the members of Rias' group. Thankfully, she also was now wearing a nun's outfit instead of being naked.

"Are we all good here?" Raynare asked. "These two can't even stand on their own, so I want to hurry and get them home."

"I think so, but first, let the newest member of my peerage heal you. Asia, if you wouldn't mind?" Rias said, gesturing towards Issei and Kalawarner.

"O-of course, um, master…" Asia said, unsure of quite how to refer to Rias.

"Just call me Rias, Asia. I don't mind." Rias said assuringly. Asia nodded, smiling, and moved to heal Issei's arm. He would've thanked her, if he could work up the strength to move his face. While she healed him, Rias told them where she'd come from. According to her, Asia had met Matsuda walking around town, and he'd helped her find this church, though at the time neither of them knew she was only being summoned here to be killed.

After finishing up with Issei's arm, Asia moved to start healing Kalawarner. Kalawarner saw the girl, and recoiled in terror, almost dragging both Issei and Raynare to the ground.

"Whoa, okay, what's the problem? It's already hard enough to hold the both of you up, I don't need you yanking us around." Raynare grumbled.

"W-when F-F-Freed was hurting me, she kept h-he-healing me! She wouldn't let me die or even pass out!" Kalawarner said, horrified by the small girl's very presence.

"Sounds like you owe her your life. I'd thank her, if I was you." Raynare said.

Kalawarner didn't say anything, but let the girl approach to heal her. Kalawarner's face was lined with fear as Asia did so, and it took everything she had to not flee. What Freed had done to her would leave lasting mental scars, and one of them was apparently being terrified of the harmless nun.

"Sorry, Asia. It'll take a bit for her to get over all this." Raynare said after the girl finished healing Kalawarner.

"N-no, it's fine. Um, Ms. Kalawarner, I-I'm really sorry I couldn't help you…" Asia said, before backing away and returning to Rias' side.

"So, is that it?" Raynare asked. No one replied for a second, but as the green circle of the Fallen Angels appeared underneath them, Akeno called out.

"Wait a second, please!" Akeno yelled. Raynare huffed, and she canceled the spell.

"Fine. Hold on." Raynare set Issei and Kalawarner on a pew. She'd grown tired of carrying them, and if his soft breathing was any indication, Issei had literally fallen asleep, so it's not like he would care. Kalawarner groaned as Raynare laid her down. She was no longer visibly injured, but she was definitely still both in pain and exhausted.

"What is it?" Raynare asked.

"Why did you save me?" Akeno replied frantically. "You could've just let Freed kill me. I was so mean to you, and you had no reason to, so why did you save me?" The devil asked. The question seemed to be driving her insane.

Raynare didn't say anything, but she looked to Issei, sleeping on the pew. A look of comprehension passed over Akeno's face, and she calmed down.

"Oh. I get he would want you to. You've got yourself a catch, Raynare." Akeno said, grinning.

Raynare looked surprised. "How did you know my real name?" She asked.

Rias answered. "I told them. That's what Kalawarner called you when you woke up, so I just assumed it was your real name. Don't feel bad, Sona and I use aliases all the time." Rias said with a grin.

"Well, Rias. Akeno. Kiba, Koneko, Matsuda. Asia. Thanks for all your help tonight. I don't think we could've done it without you." Raynare said, nodding to them.

"Of course." Rias said.

"No problem. Thanks for saving me." Akeno said.

"Yup." Koneko said. Coincidentally, this was the first time Raynare had heard the girl talk, and she'd honestly thought Koneko was mute.

"Sure thing." Kiba said.

Asia nodded.

"You're welcome. And, uh, Raynare? Could you do me a, um, favor? Please?" Matsuda asked. He seemed uncomfortable, and not used to the words he was using.

"What is it?" Raynare asked. She didn't like the boy, not after all the things he'd done, but she was willing to hear him out.

"Could you, uh, could you tell Hyoudou...I'm sorry? For what I've done, and...said. I know I said it myself, but...for real this time." Matsuda replied. He looked down, and wouldn't meet anyone's gaze.

Raynare smiled. She hadn't expected that, but she'd take it. "Sure." With that out of the way, she took Issei and Kalawarner's hands, and teleported them back home.

* * *

Vali, the White Dragon Emperor, watched the church from afar. He had Kokabiel unconscious and broken, lying at his feet, while Vali himself had not even a scratch. His counterpart had been there, fighting, at the church. He'd hoped to see some of his rival's power, and he had.

But, he'd been disappointed. So, so disappointed.

Issei Hyoudou hadn't even reached the second liberation of the Boosted Gear, much less Balance Breaker. How long would it take? How long would the Juggernaut take? Vali wasn't a patient man.

"I'll wait for now, Hyoudou. But if you make me wait too long...I'll have to speed you up."

* * *

Issei opened his eyes, but he didn't move. He couldn't move. His muscles felt like lead, and everytime he tried to so much as twitch, his body flared with agony.

 **[Welcome to hell.]**

"Ddraig? Is this because I boosted after resetting at the church? Because that was, like, one thousand percent your fault." Issei said. He could talk fine.

"Not even going to say good morning, Issei?" Issei heard Raynare's gorgeous voice, but he couldn't look at her. His neck refused to turn, no matter how hard he tried. The most he could manage was wiggling his fingertips without sending jolts of pain all throughout his body.

"Ah...good morning. I can't turn my head." Issei grounded, laughing painfully.

"Yeah, I guessed you wouldn't be able to. You boosted way more than you ever have before, and you fought hard. You fought amazingly, really, for your first time in a battle. So, that's why I decided to reward you today." Raynare said. She slowly moved into Issei's view, and what she was wearing almost destroyed his mind.

Raynare had on a french maid outfit. The black lace complimented her in every way possible, and the white brought out her fair and flawless skin. The frilly short skirt and long black stockings were every man's dream, and that includes Issei.

The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "R-R-Raynare?! Why are you wearing that?!" Issei yelled, frantic.

Raynare feigned sadness. "Aw, master doesn't like my outfit?" She said, putting on the face of a hurt puppy.

"That's not...I...you look breathtaking, but that's not the point! Why are you wearing that?!" Issei repeated.

"Because, you're going to be bedridden for the next day or so, and I want to make sure you've got something to look at during that time." Raynare said, standing with her waist cocked to the side and her hands on her hips. A heavenly smile graced her face, so perfect that Issei's heart couldn't help but pound.

"But, we're not...we aren't going to…" Issei was trying to say something, but he couldn't seem to get it out. Raynare picked up on what he meant almost instantly.

"We won't have sex until you're ready, Issei. I promise you that. I'll wait however long it takes. That being said…" Raynare said in a sultry voice, and sashayed towards Issei. She got on the bed, and crawled forward until she was directly over him, facing down. She leaned close to his ear.

"I'm ready when you are." Raynare said in the most seductive voice Issei'd ever heard in his life. Not only that, but to add insult to injury, she licked the edge of his ear. Before the tomato red Issei could even croak out a response, she jumped off the bed, and went back to standing.

"Raynare…" He managed to say.

"Yes?" Raynare said sweetly.

"I love you."

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's a wrap. I hope you all liked chapter 13! I know I did. It wrapped up the Fallen Angel arc spectacularly, and set up for quite a bit of other plot. I've got a bit more to say, though.**_

 ** _As some of you may have noticed, I am not the best at writing combat. I would LOVE if someone with experience would send me some pointers for writing combat scenes. As I move into more action-packed parts of the story, I'd love to have some tips._**

 _ **I received a complaint that I actually had too much fluff in this story. That's GOOD. I want there to waaay too much fluff. I want you to choke on it. That's the whole point of His Angel, after all.**_

 _ **I made Raynare a six winged angel. I do have reasons for this. In the canon, other than stealing a sacred gear or undertaking ridiculous training, there's really no way for a Fallen to get stronger. Raynare in this story, is over four thousand years old. It only makes sense she'd be stronger than the average bear, right? Right.**_

 _ **Well, that's all I've got for now. Till next time!**_

 _ **WAAAIIT. THAT'S NOT IT, ACTUALLY. DID ANYONE WATCH E3? If you did, you might have seen Bungie's trailer for Destiny 2: Forsaken.**_

 ** _(Spoilers ahead.)_**

...

...

...

 _ **Cayde-6 is dead. The best character in Destiny is dead, killed by Prince Douche himself. That isn't relevant at all to His Angel, but man, am I mad. I needed to talk about it. Anyway, bye!**_


	14. Wrong house

**So, I know what you're thinking. "Why is this chapter so short?" Well, the answer to that has several parts, and I'll list the main ones.**

 **I have an untreated wrist injury, and typing is currently agonizing. I also have next to no time for writing, and this was all I could put out quickly. But, I wanted to give you guys a chapter, since it's been so long since the last one. So, here you go. I'll have more out soon. Consider this an OVA, if you must. (It is still canon.)**

 **I've been asked twice now if I'll be doing a sequel to His Angel after the main story is over. Yes! And it'll be the fluffiest thing you've ever seen. Count on it.**

 **Anyway, that's basically all I've got at the moment. More at the bottom.**

 **Read and review!**

 _ **Two weeks after the Church Incident**_

* * *

Matsuda was at his house, relaxing on his bed. His feet were up, his eyes were closed, and his arms were crossed behind his head. A floor fan whirred next to him, and all the lights in the room were off. His black dog, or rather, his sacred gear, as Rias had called it, was lazily snapping at a fly at the foot of his bed.

Matsuda had been unable to find the time to chill out lately, so he was taking it where he could. Ever since the incident with the church a couple weeks ago, he'd been doing work as a proper devil. Running flyers, completing contracts, whatever Rias needed. At first, he was extremely reluctant to call her Master, and truth be told he didn't think much of the girl at all, but as of recently he found her growing on him. She cared for those under her, that was undeniable, and she seemed like a good person, if a little spoiled. She rewarded hard work, and pushed for the best in her family.

They'd been working with Issei and Raynare to hunt stray devils, and something of a partnership had been forming between Rias' peerage and the couple. Issei and Matsuda's relationship continued to improve, and Raynare was getting good with the rest of the peerage too. Everything seemed to be going well, and Rias' attitude reflected that, for a while.

But, recently, Rias had been irritable and distant. Matsuda didn't know what the catalyst was, but she'd get angry at the drop of a hat, and everytime he looked at her she seemed to be deep in thought.

The boy was so deep in thought, he didn't notice the glowing magic circle appearing in the center of his room. His dog barked, catching his attention, and he suddenly became very aware of the red glow his room had taken on. Matsuda flew off his bed, just in time to be tackled back onto it by none other than Rias Gremory herself.

"Wha? Rias, what the hell are you doing here?" Matsuda said, shocked. Without even so much as a warning, the girl had teleported into his house and fallen on top of him. Not only that, she was in a sorry state of attire. The corset that normally complemented her school uniform was gone, and her white shirt was half undone. The bald boy couldn't help but look at her cleavage, and Rias noticed. She got off of him, standing a couple feet by his bed.

"I'm sorry. I've thought about it, and there's no other way. I could ask Kiba, but he's too much of a knight. Issei might work, but with Raynare around there's no way I could get close." As Rias spoke, she finished taking off her shirt, revealing a bright blue bra. She unzipped her skirt and it fell to the ground, showing the confused boy her matching bra and panty set. After she removed the shirt and skirt, she climbed on top of Matsuda, on his bed.

"No other way…? What are you talking about?" In her movements, she grabbed his wrists, and his eyes went wide. "Get offa me!" Matsuda yelled, suddenly and violently pushing the girl off of him. He'd been hurt by too many people in life; unauthorized touching was a strict no-no, even for someone like Rias. She'd triggered his memories of being held down and beaten, and he didn't react well.

Rias fell backwards onto the ground, landing on the floor with a yelp. She sat up with a confused look on her face, like she hadn't expected that to happen. Matsudas' dog jumped beside her on the floor and eyed her warily, tail straight and ears flat.

Rias looked up at Matsuda with an hurt but understanding expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about...I'm sorry. I have to go, she'll be here soon. Please forgive me." With that cryptic series of words, Rias stood up and teleported away, leaving a confused Matsuda sitting alone on his bed, rubbing his wrists.

"...What the hell?" Matsuda asked himself, trying to figure out what just happened. There was a knock on his door, and he looked just in time to see it open.

Asia Argento, Rias' newest bishop and the nun from the church incident, walked into Matsuda's room with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "I heard some noise, and came to check on you." Asia said, tilting her head in worry.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine. Thanks." Matsuda replied, sitting up. The dog approached Asia, and she rubbed its' head lovingly.

"So what was the noise?" Asia asked, sitting down on Matsuda's bed.

"Rias was in here."

"Rias? What did she want? Is everything alright?"

"Not sure. She teleported in, started undressing, practically tackled me, and teleported away. No idea what it was all about."

* * *

For Issei Hyoudou, everything was going great. A week and a half ago, all of Issei's possessions had been delivered, all sorts of things from furniture to decorations to artifacts. A lot of it, the boy had just donated away, but there was some stuff he'd kept. Some old relics from his biological parents, some furniture, and one of their cars.

The car, Issei fell in love with as soon as he saw it. Now, he was a modest person, despite his luxurious upbringing, and he liked simple things; but, when he saw his new Lamborghini Aventador, he instantly knew he wanted to keep it. So, the car, affectionately named Prowler by Raynare, sat in the parking garage at the foot of the apartment building.

Besides the Prowler, there was only one other notable item: a dagger, one his Father owned when Issei was just a child. The boy actually didn't know it existed; it was found inside his step-father's desk, meaning he'd stolen it from Issei before he even knew. The dagger was gorgeous, from what Issei could see; and he liked the shape and weight of it. He'd asked Raynare if she could tell whether it was a real dagger, and she'd given a response in the positive. Now, Issei didn't know the first thing about fighting with a dagger, but he decided to keep it nonetheless.

So, long story short, Issei was doing fantastic.

Raynare, on the other hand, was not doing well. Her situation was just as good as Issei's, sure, but she was having one major...well, major to her, issue:

She couldn't seduce Issei.

Ever since the church incident, she'd redoubled her attempts to get Issei to love her physically as well as emotionally. After all, Rachiel was the Angel of Sexuality, and to be a virgin at 4000 years old as well as being a Fallen...it was embarrassing to say the least.

For thousands of years, Raynare had refused to sleep with anyone. Not because she was a prude; she was quite the opposite, actually. She'd simply never found anyone worthy enough. Now that she'd found her one and only, however, she was making every attempt to get him beneath the sheets. But, nothing seemed to work.

No matter what she tried, the boy would only blush and stammer an excuse. At one point, he'd even fainted. She wasn't bothered at first, and as a matter of fact she'd thought it incredibly cute, but as a week of failed attempts passed, she began to feel like a clown. It was obvious he found her gorgeous beyond compare, she didn't doubt that for a second; but, nonetheless, he refused to sleep with her. Well, not refused; more like he simply wasn't capable of responding properly. It perplexed Raynare, and at the same time, made her a little frustrated.

What bothered her the most, was that she knew what the problem was. It was just a simple matter of him not being confident enough. It's understandable, really, considering his distrust of women, but Raynare figured they were far enough along to be past that. It irked her, knowing what the issue was but not knowing how to resolve it. How does one gain confidence? He'd grown out of his shell _exponentially_ in the time she'd met him, but he was by no means a confident individual.

The worst part about it, is that he'd have more than enough confidence _after the fact._ If there's one thing to break a shy guy out of his shell, it's a roll in the hay. Raynare knew that, and it only bothered her more.

All things considered, her recent mood was not a good one.

Issei had started to notice, too. Of course, being the kind of guy he was, he didn't understand _why_ she was irritated, but he'd picked up on the change in her attitude quickly. He'd tried conversing with her, but she seemed uninterested and irritable. He knew something was bothering her, but she wouldn't tell him.

So, only moments before Rias had invaded Matsuda's room across town, Issei was reading in his kitchen, and Raynare was glaring a hole in the back of his head from the couch in front of the tv.

"Raynare, I wish you'd tell me what's wrong." Issei said, setting his book down and swiveling in his chair to face her.

"Nothing's wrong." She said, flipping her hair.

"This isn't like you." Issei remarked.

"Hmph." Raynare hummed, looking away. She was sitting down in the couch on their sort-of living room, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and black pajama bottoms.

Issei sighed, and stood up from his chair. Raynare watched him from the corner of her eyes, still facing away.

"I'm gonna go...take a shower." Issei said, a blush on his face.

Raynare looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Why in the world would he blush from saying something so normal? Unless...he was planning something.

"Sure…" The angel said, unsure of what just happened. Issei walked to their room and into the bathroom, Raynare watching him the whole way.

Raynare got up, and walked to the doorway of their bedroom, peeking in. Sure enough, Issei went to the bathroom and the shower was definitely on. So, why the odd reaction?

Raynare was so engrossed in thought, she didn't notice the bright red magic circle forming in the center of the room for several moments. When she did realize what was happening, she jumped from the couch with a light spear forming in-hand.

The brightness of the circle reached a crescendo, and Raynare was ready to fling a spear when Rias Gremory stepped out, minus clothing. The angel and the devil stared at each other for a second, and finally, after a few tense moments, Raynare sighed and dispersed the spear. She flopped back onto the couch, waiting for an explanation.

Rias, oddly enough, didn't seem to mind or even acknowledge her odd situation. She stood resolute, staring Raynare down.

"What the hell are you doing? I was this close to killing you." Raynare said, irritated.

"I need to sleep with Issei." Rias said suddenly, not explaining a thing.

Raynare snorted a laugh. "Even if that made sense, he won't sleep with me. What makes you think he'd do it with you?" Raynare asked, getting serious at the end of her sentence.

"Please. I need it." Rias asked, her face unchanged save for a brief flash of worry.

"What? No. I don't know what you thought was going to happen. There's so many things wrong with this that I don't even have time to list them all." Raynare said, looking at Rias like she was the biggest idiot on the planet.

"He owes me a favor." Rias said, insistent.

"Yeah, he does, and it's for the rating game. We'll be there."

"We wouldn't have to do the rating game if-"

"Gremory, look. I don't know what you hoped to accomplish here. Issei is _my_ boyfriend, and if he's going to sleep with anyone it'll be me!" Raynare said, growing intense. Rias' attitude annoyed her.

Rias let out a breath, and her tough facade dropped. She looked like she was about to cry.

Raynare sneered. "What is your problem?" She asked.

"I'm being forced into a loveless marriage with a douchebag." Rias said. Her eyes were becoming wet.

Raynare's whole visage softened. "Oh." She sighed. "Look, even if I wasn't here, Issei is terrified of women he doesn't trust. I hate to say it, but that includes you. It takes his maximum effort just to hold a conversation. There's no way you two could ever play hide the cucumber."

Rias sat down on the couch opposite Raynare's. The angel looked uncomfortable. She didn't really want to strike up a conversation.

"Issei wasn't my first choice, of course…"

"Oh? So sleeping with my boyfriend wasn't your first idea? Good to know." Raynare said dryly.

"I tried with Matsuda. I accidentally...triggered him." Rias said sadly.

"Triggered him?"

"Minor PTSD. He doesn't like to be touched, and I completely forgot."

"Kinda handsy for someone who doesn't like to be touched. He sure didn't mind touching Issei." Raynare said, reflecting on the day several weeks ago when she found him mercilessly beating her boyfriend in the schoolyard. While the couple's relationship with Matsuda had been improving, there were plenty of fresh wounds and Raynare wasn't a very forgiving person to start off with.

"Anyway, he rejected me, so I came here."

"What about your knight, Kiba? I'm sure he'd do it."

"He might. I don't know. He's too much of a gentleman."

"And Issei's not?" Raynare said with an edge, falsely perceiving a slight against her love.

"That's not-"

"It's not gonna happen, Rias. Look, I'll level with you. I've been trying to get him to sleep with me for like two weeks now, and it's not even working for me. He's too timid. Casual sex isn't really his cup of tea, and if you think you can just waltz in here and take his virginity, you're out of your mind. I don't know what the situation is, but it's not our problem until you need our help with the rating game. Sorry." Raynare said, dismissively shaking her head.

Rias, dejected, hung her head. Issei had truly been her last hope. She stood up off the couch, and walked back to the center of the room, the same place she'd teleported in. "Sorry to bother you. Tell Issei...I said hi." Rias said monotonously. It wasn't even like she was sad; it was as if every emotion had simply been drained from the girl, and her fighting spirit was entirely diminished. A crimson magic circle spun to life under the girl's feet, bathing the room in light.

"Rias, for what it's worth...sleeping around isn't the only way to get out of an arranged marriage." Raynare said. She'd seen it happen plenty of times before, and the bride-to-be of an unwilling marriage could sometimes be one of the trickiest creatures in the world. There was _always_ a way out, and she'd find one, even if it came down to a rating game like she'd predicted.

"Maybe...maybe not. Bye." Rias said unemotionally, before teleporting away.

Raynare sighed, and sank back into the couch. She really couldn't care less about the devil's marriage, but the way things were, they'd have to help her eventually. The Fallen was just glad she could convince Rias to leave without a fight.

She sat alone on the couch for all of a minute, before she was surprised yet again.

"Um...hey, Raynare?" Raynare sat up quickly, not expecting to hear the slightly bashful voice of Issei. She looked to the source, only the see her love standing in the doorway of their room...

...in nothing but a towel.

All of Raynare's attention was on him in an instant. "Issei?" She asked, shocked.

Issei looked away, a massive blush on his face. "I...um...I overheard you talking to Rias...about…t-trying to s-sleep with me…" The boy said, unable to contain his stutter.

Raynare wanted to jump for joy. Was it really happening? "Mhmm?" Raynare hummed, a grin threatening to break out over her features. The boy shuffled nervously before speaking again.

"I...I realized that I haven't been...completely fair...a-and...I decided…" The boy's face was tomato red, and he was shaking where he stood.

"Decided what, Issei?" Raynare asked, playing innocent. She knew what was coming, and could hardly contain herself.

"I-I decided...that...if you're really okay with m-me...then...I...wouldn't mind-"

Issei's next words were cut off by a raven blur. Raynare dashed to him, and captured the boy's lips in a kiss before he could even react.

Several moments later, Raynare pulled back, revealing to Issei her entirely out-of-character expression: pure excitement, written all over her face.

"You're ready? Are you sure?!" Raynare asked, barely keeping it together. She'd been waiting for this for quite some time. Her hands were on his shoulders, and she looked at him with blatant anticipation.

"I-I think so...yes. If it's you...then yes. I love you, Raynare. I'll do anything for you." Issei said, looking straight at her.

His eyes blazed with resolve, and he was completely prepared.

Which is good, because...

...Raynare dragged him into their bedroom and wasn't finished with him for quite a while.

* * *

 **...**

 **...**

 **Did you like it? It wasn't super fluffy, and it wasn't my best work of course, but it's new. I'm not on hiatus, this isn't discontinued, and I haven't forgotten about all of you. Worry not. Anyway, yeah. There's a lemon next chapter, picking up right where this one leaves off. Be excited, I guess?**

 **But, yeah. Pushed the plot along, covered some stuff, didn't cover some other stuff, you know how it is. Expect a normal length chapter after the lemon.**

 **Anyway, that's about it. Make sure to review. If I forgot something, feel free to pm me. Belial out.**


	15. In which they do the nasty

**Couple of VERY IMPORTANT THINGS HERE. I won't mince words- I didn't write most of this chapter. All in all, I wrote about 500 words. The majority of the credit goes to LanceSennin, a name some of you might recognize from stories like A Dragon's Charm and Devil's Cross. I'll say it again, just in case that wasn't clear.**

 **THIS CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN BY LANCESENNIN. He wrote the lemon, (cus I wouldn't do it) and I injected fluff. That's about all there is to it.**

 **Okay, now that that's out of the way, couple things. This chapter is a much-requested lemon. I've changed my rating to M, just so I could post this...oh well. Here's hoping everyone likes it. There is plot and fluff, however minor, buried in the lemon, so even if you don't like reading these (I completely understand; I don't either) I'd encourage you to ask least skim the chapter. Up to you, really. I'll give a recap in the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, yeah. This chapter starts right where the last one ended, so if you need to take a peek back and see what happened, go ahead.**

 **Well then, without further adieu...chapter 15 of His Angel. Read and Review.**

* * *

"What are you waiting for, Issei? I'm letting you start this very special night for the two of us," said Raynare, turning around so that her back was facing him. The boy gulped slightly, thinking to himself whether if this was the right decision that he just made. Making love to the one person that he loved more than anything was a very big step, especially for him. While Raynare had no problem in giving her entire self to him, Issei was having doubts and second thoughts in participating in this kind of act.

"But… I'm… inexperienced in this… whole thing…" he mumbled loud enough only for the girl to hear as his grip on the towel that covered his lower regions tightened. Now it had become an internal conflict inside of him; one side was telling him to just go with it and follow his instincts, while the other was telling him to stop and think about this.

"That's the point, Issei…" Raynare giggled, turning her head back to look at him with a smile. "I'm trying to teach you, actually… you know, for beginners, the usual thing to do during this time is to just follow what your instincts tell you." Issei's eyes widened slightly upon hearing her words. "But, as a sign of my love for you, I'll let you do whatever your mind tells you!"

He gulped again. "Are you sure that you're fine with this? It's not too late to change your mind..."

"I'm sure, Issei… I want you to make love to me," she assured him, turning her head back towards its original position. "Now, come on… it's rude to keep a girl waiting..." she faked a pout.

Issei, unable to resist Raynare's extreme beauty in the low light as well as his own mind, gulped nervously one last time before he went behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach, digging his face into the crook of her neck and intermittently started planting it with soft kisses. Raynare responded by snuggling back against her other half, enjoying the shower of love he was giving her. She closed her eyes, released a sigh of pleasure, and raised her arms over her head, reaching back and lacing her fingers around the back of his neck, locking him in place.

The dominoes started to fall inside Issei's innocence and state of mind as he lowered his head so that he was on level with hers, and planted a soft kiss on Raynare's cheek. She freed her right hand and slowly stroked Issei's cheek, moaning quietly as she smiled at him.

"Just like that, Issei… now, undress me."

The words in soft whisper rang in Issei's head as though Raynare had bellowed them, sending him in an initial state of hormonal hypnosis.

'Take off… her clothes…' he said to himself as if he was an adult lecturing a baby.

His mind melted away, and he let his masculine instincts take over. He kissed her cheek again and began to slowly remove her black shirt. With every inch of the clothing separating from her body, she leaned her head back further and further into Issei, sighing and softly moaning, happy that she didn't have to show a demonstration for him to learn. He then lifted up the bottom of her shirt with one hand, placing the other one underneath it and started to slowly caress her stomach, sending tickles towards her spine and causing Raynare to lean back even more towards him.

Raynare had and will always have a good figure, if not _the_ best figure In Issei's mind. She was devoid of any fat, but she wasn't all skin and bones either. Her skin was soft and was warm to his touch, and her stomach was smooth flat. After all, female fallen angels were known for their seductive and tempting bodies…

Raynare remained still after a few seconds and just let her body melt away into an oasis of intimate ecstasy. Eventually she felt both his hands tortuously made their way up her stomach and soon enough, they were cupped around her breasts.

"Issei… just like that… you're not bad at all for a beginner…"

Whether Issei ignored her or just didn't hear her altogether will never be known, but it mattered to neither of them. While Raynare had always dreamed of having sex with her beloved, Issei was different. Yes, he had that hidden desire to sleep with the fallen angel, but it was due to his sensitive personality that prevented him from making any move. He didn't trust anyone almost completely back then, but that was changed as soon as _she_ entered his life.

Tonight, the Issei Hyoudou of the past would be forgotten… for the sake of one couple's happiness.

The two of them allowed their intimate desires to continue to engulf their minds; Issei's hands rhythmically squeezed Raynare's breasts, while Raynare herself reached back and gripped the hair at the back of Issei's head, resting more weight against his body. Both dragon and fallen angel felt their breathing spike in tempo, eventually turning into panting as time passed. After having her breasts massaged for a while, Raynare decided to make her lover finish the job.

She just can't have him focused on one part of her all night, right?

"Issei… you still haven't took off my shirt…" she reminded him, trying to hide a chuckle.

"Oh!" For some reason, he felt embarrassed upon not noticing it until the last second. "Sorry…"

Raynare raised her arms back up with her patience disappearing. Issei reluctantly removed his hands from her breasts as he grabbed the rest of her shirt and pulled it up and out of her arms. After tossing the shirt aside, his hands nervously returned to her chest, and his face buried itself into her neck, peppering it with kisses like what he did earlier. As great as his hands felt, she knew he wasn't done yet, and she felt Issei grasp the hem of her pajamas, possibly not wanting to make his girlfriend scold him again. Raynare smiled in a seductive manner upon feeling her lover pull her pajamas down, leaving her completely naked against the light of the moon. His eyes widened when he noticed that she had no underwear at all, was she planning this hours before?

"Keep it up, Issei… just do what your mind tells you," she said, stepping out of her pajamas the moment it reached her feet.

Issei took a deep breath and took a moment to recompose himself before he stood up and threw her clothing away. He put his hands on the girl's hips and turned her around so that she was facing him. His heartbeat grew at a faster rate upon seeing Raynare's naked body in full view, having the first glimpse of what was to come for this special night. Issei tried his best not to get embarrassed, which was failing all the more that only resulted in Raynare's amusement, giggling slightly.

That was when Raynare decided to help him for a bit.

She pulled him in for a deep kiss, taking the lead almost immediately because Issei was caught off guard. Her hands went down to his waist at the same time and pulled off the towel covering him up with one swift pull. Issei's heart almost stopped now that his whole naked self was revealed to his girlfriend. He felt that he could almost die of embarrassment because Raynare was staring at him with a hint of intent underneath, and thus he tried to avert his gaze to the side, which didn't accomplish much because he found himself also gazing at the black-haired beauty in front of him, admiring how beautiful she looked against the moonlight, which only highlighted her most adored features.

For some reason, it came as no surprise to Raynare that Issei's body was well sculpted. While he wasn't overtly muscular at all, his muscles were toned and possessed a lot of enticing contours. That combined with Issei's slightly tanned skin which created him as a likable guy to anyone, not just Raynare. But regardless, his body belonged to one specific fallen angel as her body gravitated towards his, and her hands started gliding across his torso.

"I think it's only fair for me to admit… that you look so hot, Issei…" she whispered towards his ear, smiling seductively.

Issei blushed in embarrassment upon hearing her words and at the same time, he felt happy as the flattery was something very new to him. No one had ever commented Issei on any of his physical features; he'd always viewed himself as a lowly person with nobody by his side. No one called him ugly or anything, but he'd never been called outright handsome by anyone. Hearing something like that from a person he found to have unparalleled beauty such as Raynare, it meant a tremendous deal to him, and he took the comment to heart and kept it as a confidence booster for this special night.

"Well, I don't think I need to say what I think of your body, Raynare… you probably have a good idea already," he complimented back, which only caused her to smirk lightly.

"Of course I do… I know you love my body as much as you love me," she teased him, making his blush deepen into a darker shade that only caused Raynare to chuckle at how easily he gets embarrassed when she teases him. A few seconds later, she stopped and looked at him once more before she outstretched her arms in an inviting manner.

"Well, go on and don't stop here, Issei… let's continue."

Feeling that her words were like a special trigger in his mind, Issei embraced Raynare, pressing his body against hers. The contact between their skins began to rile them up again, sending shivers down both their spines as a result. Her breasts against his bare chest very nearly triggered an animalistic reaction that he realized could harm her, so he managed to fight off any desires on her body.

Due to his dragon side, he felt a slight change in his state of mind that he noticed quite well. If he allowed this to continue, he may not be all that embarrassed anymore, but it could lead to Raynare getting harmed. So, as gentle and loving as he was, he fought off his own intimate desires in favor of cherishing this particular time he was having the girl he loved.

"Issei… carry me towards the bed… we can't keep standing here all night…" she moaned in his ear.

Without hesitation, Issei reached down and lifted Raynare's legs out from under her and soon enough, she was cradled in his arms like a child, and he carried her over towards the bed. The girl then pulled him in for another deep kiss which he gladly reciprocated, feeling more courageous with kisses and embraces now.

Issei laid Raynare down onto his bed, trying not to get distracted by her naked body. As they separated from their kiss, he noticed her staring at him with both passion and lust in her eyes, and that was a signal which said that she wanted to move on with their special night together.

"Lay down, Issei… I'll take it from here," her voice was soft and pleasant, but he followed her order like a royal command from an empress. And with a sudden spike in adrenaline, he too felt his dreariness evaporate. He lowered himself onto his bed, slowly becoming entranced by the thought of cuddling with his beloved Raynare.

With his eyes glued to his girlfriend, he positioned himself to lay on his side, arms wide open, inviting her into his embrace just like what she did earlier. But instead of rolling into his arms, she pushed him over onto his back, laying him down flat on the bed. Raynare then found herself straddling Issei, and rested her weight on his midsection. She began to run her hands across his shirtless body, feeling every inch of his toned chest and abdomen. Her hands eventually came to a stop at his chest, and began to rub his nipples with her index fingers.

"R-R-Raynare?!"

"I'm going to be all over you, Issei."

Issei, having accepted that he was going to have sex with Raynare, was confused as to what her other intentions were, but nevertheless took it with a grain of salt and accepted it for what it was. He was just happy to be with her. But even so, his eyes became fixated on her voluptuous breasts, and it didn't take a genius to see that, let alone Raynare herself.

"Squeeze them, Issei. Ravage them. Make them feel your passion. You can play with then as much as you want," she stated, noticing the look in his eyes that was longing for her.

She removed her fingers from his nipples and lowered her body to lay flat on his, stacking her on top of him like pancakes. Their legs were entangled, and their crotches pushed against each other, causing a tingling sensation to be sent through their bodies that got the two of them to moan softly.

Issei reached around Raynare's back, running his fingers all over her creamy skin, wanting to feel more of his lover before anything else. Moments later, the look in Raynare's eyes told Issei exactly what she wanted him to do as he locked gazes with her. She grabbed both of his hands and placed them on her large breasts.

He was frozen, awestruck and lacking consciousness. Rendered unable to move at all due to being distracted and absolutely mind-controlled by the fallen angel on top of him.

"What's the problem? Your hands were all over them just a few minutes ago," she teased before she began to lead his hands into groping and squeezing her own breasts a bit more aggressive than before.

Issei was stripped of his ability to speak, and his exhalation stuttered badly. All Raynare did was giggle before she finally stopped controlling his hands' movements after nearly a minute of doing so. Almost immediately, Issei's hands went back towards her boobs out of instinct and desire, feeling that he should do just what Raynare wanted him to do in the first place. In return, the black-haired beauty leaned down and captured his lips in another kiss, slowly giving in to her lust for the boy. She thought about playing with him a bit more to have fun at her expense, which was immediately broken when she felt something poking her butt.

Raynare's breathing accelerated, as she knew what it was as soon as she felt it twitch. Turning around, she silently marvelled at the sight of her boyfriend's manhood, licking her lips in hunger, showing more of her fallen angel personality as she wielded Issei's cock with both hands. While she pinched and twisted his foreskin with one hand and circled her other hand around the shaft, she leaned forward to reach it with her mouth, pulling her breasts away from Issei.

Once he lost grip of her two mounds, Issei somehow regained control of his senses and was able to think lucidly again. He wasn't sure what happened and how it went down, but letting go of Raynare's breasts awarded him his brain back, and he began to think about things as the girl's mouth was just about to envelope his twitching cock.

"Raynare… wait!"

She stopped in her attempt, looking back her lover with a slightly surprised look. Raynare was almost astounded that Issei still had the ability to speak until now, let alone the ability to put together coherent words, even as few as he said.

"Issei… I'm sorry, I was getting carried away for a second there…"

Raynare got off of Issei, and rested by his side. As she too began to have her senses return to her mind, she began to feel the sentiments take place. Issei moved his hips back, positioning himself upright and resting his back near the edge of the bed. The two had spent the past few minutes blinded by their own lustful desires, incapable of processing anything else around them, let alone the narrative and sentiments behind what was about to happen. But once their minds returned to them, their physical desires gave way to their emotional ones, and they had a moment to stop and think about each other. And the fact that they were about to forever brand themselves onto each other.

For two people who would love each other to the end, it meant a great deal more to them than just a steamy fling.

Raynare let out a long sigh. "Issei… with everything that's happened lately… I'm so glad to have met you. I can't think of a better person who would love me for who I am, despite what kind of disgusting being I may be. I knew we would share this moment together the minute I found out that I was falling for you. This is your first time, right?"

"It is," he answered almost immediately. "I swear from the bottom of my heart, Raynare… I couldn't bring myself to open up to any other person, and the only one who managed to fill the void in my heart was you. You helped me to be the better person that I am today. I'm so glad...I'm so glad you asked me out, in the park that day..."

"Issei, I don't know about you, but by sleeping with you tonight… I fully, unrelentingly, permanently promise myself to you. I'm giving you my virginity because you are the one person that I love above anything else. I promise that I will love no other man other than you. I am, without hesitation, your woman now. I'm all yours. Always and forever," she said, stroking his cheek gently.

"Raynare, I gave myself to you the moment I started to trust you. The second I knew that you are somebody with whom I can tell my problems to, be myself with, and relate with. I keep telling myself that all my time and energy would be spent making you happy, because you have made me so happy as well. I knew that no other woman would endure what you went through for me. Even though you were a Fallen Angel, and I was a lowly human...you stayed with me. Even though...even though you were supposed to kill me."

Raynare gasped. Her whole world ground to a halt. Her last secret, the one thing she was determined to never let Issei find out...he already knew.

Sensing her shock, Issei continued. "Kalawarner mentioned it one time...I asked her what she was talking about, and she explained. I want you to know...I'm so happy you agreed to assassinate me." Issei said, smiling brightly.

"Issei… why would you say that? Now I feel like I'm only… that I'm only… Issei…" Raynare began to fight back tears, touched to her very core with what he said. She was shocked to hear something like that come from his lips, because he rarely talked like this, particularly in serious situations only.

"Don't think that way. I don't feel that way about you at all. I know your intentions, and I know what's in your heart right now. I love you, and that's all that matters. Even if it's everyone against us...I'll find a way to make it work. I'd throw away my own happiness in a minute just to see you smile."

"See, that's the thing… you say you'd will sacrifice your happiness for my own. But in reality… all I need is for us to be happy together."

Their feelings were splattered all over, as their hearts were completely emptied out. All the walls in their intimate relationship had been completely broken, leaving only their pure feelings still alive. And as their throats were stricken with emotion and tears were forming in their eyes, they were overcome with relief.

Relief that they had found their own eternal lover. The combined feeling of loving someone so deeply and having that same person return that love with equal intensity put them both in a state of unbreakable happiness. The two then found themselves sniffling as their tears started to flow out, their emotions taking over the atmosphere.

"I don't think you know how much you mean to me. You asking me out on a date that day has changed me. Even with the little time that's passed, I'm happier now than I ever thought I would be because of you, Raynare. I was able to move on from my dark past with you by my side… if I had to, I would gladly die for you. You're the absolute world to me. I love you."

Raynare giggled. "You silly boy. You have no idea, do you? Look at what you've done to me." Raynare unfurled her once black wings, and Issei gasped.

Where as once before, her wings had been raven black...now they flickered between black and pure silver.

"What...? Raynare...are you alright?" Issei asked, feeling her silvery feathers.

 **"I'm better than ever, Issei...something's changing, and I'm pretty sure it's your fault. But, that's not important right now. I love you too, Issei. Let me prove it."**

The time for discourse ended, as their vows were followed by a warm embrace and a kiss. They remained in lock for a few seconds before Raynare lifted a leg over to the other side of Issei. She broke the kiss to look down at their sweet spots, and lifted her lower body up to position her vagina over Issei's dick. With all uncertainty out the window, she slowly lowered herself, and felt Issei's tip poke her warm entrance.

"Issei… I'm… I'm coming down… it's gonna go in…"

"I read from books that this is supposed to hurt the girl. Just don't go too fast, Raynare. Take as much time as you need to get comfortable… I

I won't rush you.

Issei took both of her hands with his own, holding her through the whole thing and surprising Raynare because he managed to do something right now without her taking the lead.

He expected her to let out a few yelps of pain, but she was surprisingly letting it go smoothly, surprisingly due to the fact that she was a supernatural being. She slid further and further down, pushing more and more of his cock into her as a little bit of blood ran down his shaft. However, any pain she was feeling quickly dissipated, and was replaced by pleasure.

Ryanare's insides felt divine, and areas she never realized could be so sensitive were being triggered. Despite her lustful nature, this was her first time having sex and she never knew that it would feel this good. It was almost like a drug to her. After what felt like an eternity, Issei's entire manhood was inside of his girlfriend and her ass cheeks rested on the boy's thighs.

"It's in… Issei, it's in… it's done…we're finally one."

Tears poured from her eyes as her most perfect and ideal sex dream had come true. She had always wanted the one she loved to have sex with her, mainly due to her intense love for him and because of her nature as a fallen angel. The fact that it was with Issei made her the happiest woman in the world as the sensation sent her over the edge, but she felt almost no pain.

"I'm so happy it was you… Raynare… that I could have my first time with… I won't love any other girl besides you."

Raynare was able to rest her weight onto Issei, and get comfortable with her pussy occupied. She shifted her weight to her butt, and lifted her legs around Issei. When she got settled, the two synchronously reached around each other; Raynare's arms wrapped around Issei's neck, as his went around her body under her arms. Without hesitation, they locked lips for another deep kiss.

Aside from the obvious difference of Issei being inside Raynare, the emotions and the passion were much the same as the previous times they'd kissed so far. Their minds were drowned with each other's presence, and how much they loved each other.

And the night continued on. Their kissing remained, and every now and then, Issei would wiggle his hips to move his cock around Raynare's pussy, tickling her and setting off a moan, slowly learning what he must do in situations like this.

"Issei… you can move now…"

Following his girlfriend's words, he started thrusting his entire length inside her womanhood, once again following his instincts. A few seconds later, the two of them were in perfect rhythm, with Raynare bouncing up and down to meet Issei's thrusts and also causing her perfectly-shaped mounds to bounce in unison with her. Issei felt some of his internal desires coming back, so he reached up to grab her breasts with both his hands, kneading them like dough between his fingers.

"You feel… so good, Issei!" Raynare moaned out, feeling herself lost in ecstasy as she rode him. Issei didn't respond with words, and let his actions speak for him. Continuing to follow what his mind told him to do, he grabbed her hips firmly to hold her in place as he pounded Raynare's pussy.

But other than that, they were basically beginners, perhaps because Issei wasn't overall experienced in it, or he was afraid that he would hurt Raynare. Her delicate face somehow made him more careful in experimenting, more reluctant to do anything sudden, but he was fine with where he was.

The two of them stayed in a cowgirl position for a while, perfectly content and not in need of moving or trying something else. They both knew they'd have more opportunities to explore the realm of sex, so for their first time together, keeping it where they were was fine with them.

Finally, about half an hour later, it reached the point where they couldn't take it anymore and felt something stirring in both their lower regions.

"Issei… I feel something coming… it's coming… I'm gonna blow!" she said.

"Me too… Raynare, I think I'm… I'm going to explode inside of you!" he replied, pulling his girlfriend into a deep kiss that he initiated, putting her in an initial state of shock.

Against her own will, she pulled away and rested her head on his chest, taking heavy breaths. "Do it… do it inside of me… don't worry about me getting pregnant, Issei… fallen angels don't get pregnant that easily…" she mumbled.

Screaming out each other's name, Raynare's back arched up as they let themselves go. Both lovers revelled in the afterglow of their climax for a few seconds afterwards, with Raynare collapsing on top of him out of exhaustion. Surprisingly, they were physically tired, and they were also emotionally worn. Having their hearts violently spun around every direction possibly took a toll out of the two lovers. And so they mutually agreed to call it a night after their mind-blowing experience. They would close their eyes to wait for tomorrow, and then the rest of their supernatural lives after that.

As Raynare lifted herself off of Issei, she quickly reached for a nearby towel to wipe the sweat and love juices off their bodies which was naturally brought on by their relentless love-making. For most, it would've been a sign of a pretty disappointing session, but the two were just fine with it and didn't think much.

They wanted the night to be special, and indeed it was. It was already special that they were just happy to be with each other.

She laid down next to him after cleaning both herself and Issei up, both lying on their side so that they were facing each other. She draped one arm around him and tucked her hand underneath his head, holding his cheek in it. While their legs began to tangle, he nestled an arm underneath her side, and held her face-up cheek with his hand.

Their eyes met, getting caught in a deep stare, and once again, they became lost in each other's gaze, and their thoughts began to race. Both had a slight intention of kissing again, but alas, they lacked the energy to do so. Raynare tucked her head down, and buried it into Issei's chest, pulling him tighter and closer to her as if he was hers. With her last breath before entering her deep slumber, she was able to utter out some parting words, closing out this special night.

"Good night, Issei… I love you."

"Good night, Raynare… I love you, too."

Yet in her mind, it was a completely different matter.

'Thank you for loving me… I'm forever yours… thank you for opening up your heart to me… and thank you for spending this night with me… Issei.'

' _My Issei.'_


	16. Fried chicken

**I just had a total brain fart and forgot everything I was going to put for an author's note, so I'm just gonna kinda come up with stuff as I type this. As always, just PM me if you have a question or something doesn't seem right.**

 **Q: What is a 'proxy piece'? A: It's something I've seen used before in the DxD fanon. It's not canon, by any means, but I'm gonna use them anyway because they work for what I need. Long story short, they're pieces that allow for temporary devil transformation so non-devils can participate in a rating game under a King.**

 **Q: What happened in the lemon that I didn't read? A: To be completely honest with you, I barely read it either. I don't like lemons at all, but there was some relevant plot in it. I'll sum it up here, in case you did skip the last chapter.**

 **Raynare's wings are turning silver, and Issei knows she was sent to kill him. Oh yeah, and, in case it wasn't obvious, Raynare and Issei did the nasty. (They had sex.)**

Yeah, that's basically it.

 **Q: Did Belial forget what to talk about again? A: Yes, I sure did.**

 **Anyway, I'm out of stuff to say. Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, but I hope this makes up for it. Really, this chapter is my personal favorite, and I think you'll see why. Here's hoping you like it as much as I do. Also, as usual, I have no beta, so try to ignore any errors you find. If they're really bad, send me a PM and I'll fix them. Cool? Cool.**

 **Read and Review!**

Raynare and Issei were walking to school, hand in hand. They meandered down the sidewalk, people bustling around them on all sides. Even as the two of them performed the same action, they both had very different expressions.

Issei showed signs of extreme exhaustion, and stumbled slightly when he moved his legs. His hair was haggard, his eyes were half-lidded, and he looked completely worn-out.

Raynare, on the other hand, looked positively radiant. She smiled brightly, and she had a sway in her step. She was holding herself back so as not to outpace Issei, and it was obvious.

"Something wrong, darling?" Raynare asked, a sweet-as-honey smile on her face.

"...My life is pain." Issei muttered.

"You're just sore, you'll be fine!"

"You saying that...doesn't make it better."

"Wasn't it worth it, though?" Raynare said, a mischievous smile on her face.

Issei blushed and didn't respond.

"Thought so~!" Raynare said.

This was the happiest Issei had seen her, ever. He was more than glad he decided to go through with it and sleep with her.

They walked for a while in happy silence, before they ran into Rias' group about halfway to the school. Oddly enough, it was all of Rias' group, without Rias. Even Akeno was there.

"Hi, you two." Kiba said, waving at the both of them.

Issei gave a half-hearted grunt, and Raynare waved happily, shocking most of the devils.

"You look terrible, Hyoudou. Rough night?" Matsuda asked, a knowing grin on his face. He walked side by side with Asia, and the two of them seemed very close. His dog was beside him, choosing to appear as a pitch black Doberman. They'd determined his dog couldn't be seen by anybody who wasn't supernatural unless he willed it, so Rias was fine with him showing it at school and in public.

"I had a great night." Issei said, monotone. Raynare smiled brightly.

"...You guys smell bad." Koneko said, sniffing the air.

"I smell like victory!" Raynare said quickly, nodding her head.

"I smell like 'I didn't have time for a shower this morning because Raynare spent the whole time laughing and singing in it'. My bad."

"Is today special?" Asia asked, wondering why the fallen angel was so happy.

"No, but last night sure was!" Raynare said, nearly bursting from elation.

Suddenly, the gremory group put the pieces together.

"Ah...I see. Congratulations, I think…" Kiba said, awkward.

"Gross." Koneko muttered.

"I'm jealous!" Akeno giggled. Issei didn't know why she'd be jealous. They were barely even friends. While Issei had gotten over her initial rudeness, and her and Raynare were getting along, he still found her personality...grating.

"I don't get it…" Asia mumbled.

Matsuda just shot Issei a thumbs up.

The seven of them neared the school gates, with everyone dispersing to different places to start the day. Raynare and Issei, of course, went to class together.

This time, it was Issei who slept and Raynare who paid attention.

* * *

A sharp jab in the back startled Issei awake. He shot up from his desk, nearly falling over himself in the process. He heard snickering from behind him, and he turned to see his mischievous girlfriend covering her mouth and pointing to what was in front of him.

Issei turned back around to see several of their classmates staring at him with odd expressions. They'd all been on the way out of the room when Issei's sudden jump had attracted their attention.

" _Isn't he the singer?"_

" _I think so...he's cute!"_

" _I'm so jealous of Yuuma!"_

" _Tell me about it!"_

" _Screw that guy."_

" _If I could sing like that, I'd have Yuuma and not that chump…"_

"No you wouldn't~!" Raynare answered the gossip in a sing-song voice, alerting everyone that should could hear them. She stood up, and handed the flustered Issei his things. He took them, and followed the quickly retreating Raynare out of the room.

"Ra...Yuuma, where are you going? The exit is that way…" Issei said, walking fast to keep up with her.

"I just felt a Phenex devil show up, and I'm wondering why. It's this way." Raynare answered, taking Issei's hand and guiding him swiftly down the halls towards Rias' room.

Within a minute, the two of them were outside the Occult Research Club headquarters, or, in other words, the place where Rias and her peerage use for devil business. Right outside the door, was Kiba, waiting patiently.

"Oh, good. Rias wanted both of you to come. Come inside, and stay quiet." Kiba explained, opening the door.

Issei and Raynare stepped inside, Kiba behind them. Koneko, Matsuda, and Asia were standing by the door, Rias was on one of the couches, and Akeno stood behind her. Other than the usual group, there were two extra people in the room; one, and blonde teenager of about seventeen years old, and the other was a maid with silver hair, standing off in the corner of the room.

"My dear Rias, I think perhaps you're being a bit too stubborn. This marriage was decided on by your family, and to go against it would-" The blonde boy was sitting by Rias, running his right hand through her hair, and with his left, touching her thigh. She looked _extremely_ angry.

"My _family_ has no right to say who I should marry." Rias said, interrupting him.

"The future of devil kind is at stake! If you don't continue the line of Gremory, how-" Once again, the boy was interrupted.

"I _will_ continue our line, but it will be on my own time, and my own terms. For the last time, Riser Phenex, I will not marry you!" Rias yelled, standing up in frustration.

" _Oh. I get it now."_ Raynare mumbled. Issei looked at her, standing on his right.

" _What's going on? Who is this guy?"_ Issei whispered.

" _Well, I knew Rias was stuck in an arranged marriage, and I guess that's the guy. I can see why she wants out. I'm guessing this is what the rating game is going to be about."_ Raynare whispered back. Kiba overheard them, and nodden in confirmation.

" _That's Riser Phenex, third son of the house of Phenex. He and Rias are engaged, it's just...well, see for yourself."_ The knight whispered to the both of them.

"To reject me is to besmirch the name of the mighty House of Phenex, and that is unacceptable!" Riser said, standing up alongside Rias. He grabbed her chin, and forced her to look him in the eye.

Rias' peerage looked ready to jump in and defend her at any time, and Riser noticed, glaring at them.

"I don't care if I have to incinerate everyone in this room, you _will_ come back to the underworld with me!" Riser yelled as his body suddenly started to exude an aura of flame, while Rias' signature destruction magic sparked around her.

"There's no need for incineration." The maid suddenly said, interrupting them. Everyone present looked to her, the whole debacle stopping as quickly as it had started.

"My lady Rias, Lord Riser, as you know, I am here by order of Sirzechs, which means there will be no disruption of peace." The maid said sternly.

"When told such an ominous thing by one who is revered as the 'Ultimate Queen', even I can become somewhat fearful." Riser said, shrugging.

"My master anticipated there would be a conflict of some sort. As such, he has assigned me a last resort should communication break down."

Rias sighed. "Yes, of course he did. Would you care to be a little more specific?"

"If my Lady insists on putting her personal preferences over those of her family, she is to settle this with a rating game against lord Riser." The maid said.

" _A rating game? Wasn't Sona talking about something like that?"_ Matsuda asked.

" _A rating game is a game noble devils play with each other. Long story short, they and their servants compete in battle to see who wins."_ Kiba explained. Matsuda nodded.

"I have played through numerous rating games, and have even scored several wins for myself. Unfortunately, my bride has never even qualified for an official game." Riser said, flaunting his experience over her.

" _Oh shit, are we at a disadvantage?"_ Matsuda asked. The boy's dog was riding on his right shoulder, in the form of a black chihuahua.

" _That's not all we have to worry about. Look!"_ Koneko said, nodding at Riser.

"Rias, I can't help but ask, is this adorable group the extent of your servants? They're all you have?" Riser asked.

"And so what if they are?" Rias said, indignant.

"Hahaha!" Riser burst into laughter at the notion. He snapped his fingers, and a large magic circle composed of bright orange flames lit up an unused area of Rias' base. It was a mass teleportation spell, and as it grew in size and intensity, a huge group of women and girls of all varieties were brought into the room.

"Holy shit!" Matsuda yelled, surprising everyone.

"Why does your servant curse, Rias? Is he perhaps shocked at the sight of a real peerage?" Riser asked, cocky.

"Fuck you! The fire surprised me, is all!" Matsuda said, shooting Riser the finger.

"How vulgar! It would seem your servant knows not his place, darling." Riser said, sneering at Matsuda.

"Listen you piece of shit, the-" "Matsuda, stop!" "-only person I listen to is Rias!" Matsuda yelled through Rias' interruption, shocking the redhead. "There doesn't need to be a game or whatever, I'll take you on right here!" Matsuda yelled, he and his dog charging at Riser. The black canine shifted form to an imposing pair of shadowy brass knuckles as they ran, jumping on and wrapping around Matsuda's fists. He jumped in for a wild haymaker, swinging his right arm with force enough to seriously wound a normal person.

"Mira!" Riser yelled, quickly stepping away. There was a flash from where Riser's peerage stood, and before Matsuda could even redirect himself, he had the business end of a wooden staff firmly planted in his stomach. A blue haired girl who'd appeared in an instant shoved him upward off the staff, then hit him away with it while he was in the air, sending him flying with a gnarly uppercut to the chin. He landed ungracefully on his face in front of the couches.

"Matsuda!" Rias cried, and the rest of the peerage plus Raynare and Issei stood ready to come to their defense. Rias rushed over to him, cradling the bruised boy in her arms. "Are you alright? Say something!" She yelled, checking his body for injuries.

"I'm all good...don't worry about it." Matsuda said. He passed out not a second later. His black knuckles fell off of his hands, transforming into a vicious looking wolf, standing guard in front of Matsuda and Rias with his fangs bared and hackles raised, _waiting_ for one of Riser's peerage to make another move.

"This is the wielder of the renowned Canis Lykaon? How pathetic!" Riser said, laughing. The wolf snarled savagely in response, cutting Riser's laugh short.

"Grayfia...tell my brother I agree to the rating game." Rias said, not looking up from Matsuda's body.

"Of course." Grayfia replied shortly.

"Riser...believe me when I say we will annihilate you." Rias said, glaring at Riser from the corner of her eyes.

"I look forward to it, my dear. I'll see you at the game." Riser said. He walked to his peerage, and they all disappeared into a wall of fire, Riser's laugh lingering until the last speck of flame vanished from sight.

"So...that was the guy you need us for?" Issei asked, curious.

"Yes. His name is Riser Phenex, and he's to be my husband." Rias said, pulling Matsuda onto the couch.

"I guess it's too much to ask you to just bite the bullet and marry him, huh?" Raynare asked. Rias' peerage glared at her. "What?"

"Of course it is. I'm cashing in on that favor you promised me, Issei. The both of you will join us as proxy pieces for the rating game." Rias said.

"I'm gonna need a lot of information, I guess...and some training, definitely." Issei said to himself.

"What pieces do you have?" Raynare asked.

"A knight and a rook…" Rias said, looking away.

"...What?" Raynare said, looking at Rias like she'd just said the stupidest thing on the planet. "You want to reincarnate a six-winged angel and the Red Dragon with...a knight and a rook." Raynare said, looking as if the statement was too stupid for her to process.

"It's all I have." Rias said shortly.

"What about a bishop? Isn't Asia your only one, or did she take two pieces?" Raynare asked. She's assumed the redhead would have an empty bishop, as that's basically the only position Raynare would make sense in.

"I have another bishop, but I'm not powerful enough to control him." Rias answered.

Raynare's mouth hung open, like Rias was just getting dumber by the second. "And...you _are_ powerful enough to control Issei and I?" She asked.

Rias' mouth opened and closed, no words coming out. She didn't have an answer for that.

"Ah, whatever. They're proxy pieces, so it doesn't matter. I'll be a knight, and Issei will be a rook." Raynare said, ignoring that poor planning Rias had done.

"I...don't know what those are, outside of chess…" Issei said, feeling horribly left behind in his explanations.

"They work the same. I'll be a knight, so I'm quick, and you'll be a rook, so you hit harder. Simple as that."

"That's not how they work in chess at all…" Issei mumbled.

"Huh...I guess you're right." Raynare said, thinking.

"The game will be held ten days from today. Because of the power gap between your peerage and Riser's, Lord Sirzechs is giving you a handicap. Please use the ten days to train as much as possible." Grayfia said, her stoic demeanor shifting into a more reasonable one.

"I gladly accept." Rias said, smiling. She turned to face her peerage and the couple. "We'll be going to a Gremory mansion in the underworld. It's a fantastic place to train. Please meet us here tomorrow, and we'll all go together." Rias said to Issei and Raynare.

"Sure. Well then, let's get going, Issei." Raynare said, grabbing his hand and leading him out.

"Thank you both." Akeno said to the two of them as they left the room. Issei waved goodbye.

* * *

As soon as they were out the door, Raynare teleported the both of them back to their apartment, startling Issei.

"We should hunt down whoever posted that video of you singing and kill them." Raynare said, setting her things down by their door. Issei put his in the same place, chuckling.

"What makes you say that?"

"Have you not noticed all the extra attention you get? Girls go out of their ways to sneak a peek of Kuoh's famous musician."

"Now that you mention it, I have noticed. Girls look at me in strange ways, and guys all glare at me. It feels like I did something wrong." Issei said, plopping down on the couch.

"That's what I'm saying. I've constantly gotta fight off other chicks because they think they have a shot at you." Raynare said, throwing herself over the couch opposite Issei.

"What? No way. Why would any girls even look at me?" Issei asked, not believing her.

"Because you're cute, famous, sweet, and taken."

"Taken?"

"Taken. Mine. Girls always want what they can't have."

"Oh...well, they're out of luck, I guess. I can't imagine being with anyone but you." Issei said, lovingly admiring his girlfriend splayed out across the couch opposite him. He couldn't see it, since she was facedown, but she was blushing.

It was strange. It was completely, totally, absolutely strange and it didn't make any sense.

Their relationship, I mean.

Raynare was one of the Fallen's most feared soldiers. She'd killed hundred of people over thousands of years and people who crossed her regret it, always. She worked directly under Azazel for a very long time, and she could most certainly be considered evil.

Issei was a rich boy with a bad family. He was depressed, majorly so, and he'd have killed himself if she hadn't waltzed into his life. Not only that, but she was planning on killing him herself. All the odds were stacked against him, and she was the one stacking them.

Raynare was more than ready to kill again.

All before she met Issei, anyway.

For some reason, this horrible Fallen had been attracted to the most vulnerable person she'd ever met. At the time of their meeting, Raynare had seen _wood_ with more will to live than Issei, but for some reason, that only made her want to protect him. At first, she was confused and didn't know what to do. But, the first time she saw him hurt, she instantly fell in love.

For a being that had known nothing but violence since the day she fell from Heaven, love was strange. It was a foreign concept, one that she'd tried to attain but never had until she met Issei. When she saved the boy from Matsuda, she'd felt something in her heart, something she'd thought was love. In reality, it wasn't, not yet. It was just the inklings of a crush, something she'd never experienced before and didn't know how to handle. But, she embraced it, and threw caution to the wind. Within a day, she was completely smitten. And now, several weeks after, she could hardly stand to be apart from Issei Hyoudou.

Not only had the boy completely changed her personality, but her body itself was in flux.

Once you fall from Heaven, your wings turn black, no exceptions. That's how it works. But, Raynare's flickered silver. They didn't do it often, only when she was in a "good" state of mind, and lasted for no more than a second at a time. That had never happened before, not to a single angel in history. She didn't understand it at all. All she knew, was that when she was with Issei, she felt at home, and when she felt at home, her wings turned silver.

"...you're such a dork." Raynare said, smiling into the couch cushions. Issei heard the humor in her voice, and smiled with her.

"I'm your dork. Forever." Issei said, his usual timidity replaced with the bravado Raynare drew out of him. "Hey, Raynare?"

"Hmm?" The fallen hummed into the couch.

"Can I see your wings?" Issei asked.

Without another word, six black wings sprouted straight up from the small of Raynare's back. She spread them out, for him to see. Issei eagerly watched her wings, waiting for some indication of changing colors.

"...what are you waiting on?" Raynare asked. She expected him to touch them, since he enjoyed the feeling of her feathers, but she waited and nothing happened.

"For them to change colors. Does it happen often?" Issei asked, eager.

"Not really. I only first noticed about a week ago. I thought about showing it to Kalawarner, but I haven't yet."

"Mhmm." Issei hummed in reply. He ran his finger down the length of her top right wing, making her shiver in response. He hadn't forgotten that an angel's wings were very sensitive, sexually and otherwise.

"You're gonna make them blacker, doing that…" Raynare mumbled, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Cool it, perv. I just love how they feel. You're really soft." Issei said, smiling. On his words, her wings flickered silver for a millisecond, just long enough for Issei to register that it happened.

"I think they just turned silver…" Raynare said, not looking up.

"They did, but really quickly. You can tell?"

"Yeah. It's a weird feeling. I guess I can't really describe this to a human, but it felt like the opposite of Falling. Weird, right?"

"What did Falling feel like? I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to-"

"No, it's fine." Raynare said, cutting him off. She sat up, pushing herself off the couch to face Issei. "I never have told you how I Fell, have I?"

Raynare retracted her wings, so they didn't block conversation. A black feather remained, drifting down between them.

"You don't have to. It won't change how I think of you." Issei said, wanting to reassure her before she said anything she regret.

"You're the best. But, it's only right that I tell you anyway."

"Only if you're comfortable."

They sat across from each other on the couches, Issei facing Raynare and looking her in the eyes.

"I'll keep it short, I guess. It was way back, before the Great War. I used to be the Angel of Sexuality, Rachiel...and then, one day, this human gets the idea that he can touch me however he likes. I ignored him for a while, trying my best to...turn the other cheek, just like God taught...and then, he slips his hand under my robe. I slapped him away, as kind of a knee-jerk reflex, but I guess I hit him a bit too hard, cus...he died." Raynare said, looking down. Issei could tell she was putting on her best facade to try and act like it didn't bother her, but he could see through it in an instant.

"So...the guy died, and suddenly I was an angel who killed a human. There wasn't a trial. I didn't get asked any questions. My wings just turned black, and suddenly I couldn't go home. It felt...awful. My old friends hated me...my brothers and sisters wouldn't look at me. I never saw God again. I was...alone." Raynare's voice tightened up, and she choked on the last words.

Issei shot over and immediately held her in his arms, just in time for her to start crying.

"Hey, it's alright…" Issei said comfortingly. He hugged her tightly, letting her sob into his shoulder. "I'm here. I'm here, Raynare. I'm not going anywhere." Issei said, trying his best to comfort his hysteric girlfriend. She hugged him back, crying freely.

Now, Issei didn't know it, but this was the first time she'd told _anyone_ the story behind how she fell. She'd had the deep-seated issues of abandonment for a couple thousand years, and now all of her repressed emotions were flooding out into the shoulder of her beloved. And, of course, Issei being Issei, he said the perfect thing.

"I'm right here with you, Rachiel. You'll never be by yourself ever again, as long as I live."

Raynare's world ground to a standstill.

Did he...did he really just say that?

"You'll never be alone again." He repeated, stroking her hair.

The words she'd waited thousands of years to hear.

The words she'd waited thousands of years for the one she loves to say.

The words Issei Hyoudou had just said, holding her while she cries.

Raynare laughed. In between sobs, she laughed, harder than she ever had. Issei looked bewildered. He had no idea what to do with the whirlwind of emotions his girlfriend was spouting.

Raynare laughed like a madman, and cried like a saint. Without even knowing it, he'd just freed her from a life of doubt and loneliness. No, not just then; weeks ago, when he first turned her down for a date.

Issei Hyoudou had saved her soul, and he had no idea.

"Raynare…? Are you okay? I'm not really sure what to do…"

"You big idiot. How am I supposed to be okay, after you say something like that?" The angel said, sobbing and laughing.

"I guess you're happy, then…?"

"Am I happy? See for yourself."

Raynare unfurled her wings.

They shone with a silver bright enough to rival the moon.

Issei gasped.

Raynare laughed. Her smile was flawless.

"I can feel it, Issei. It's permanent. My wings are silver. I'm not Fallen." Raynare said, happy tears falling from her eyes.

"That's...Raynare, that's...amazing!" Issei said. She hugged him even tighter than before, crying into his shoulder yet again. This time, though, she had a smile on her face.

"This is all your fault…" She said, sniffling and laughing.

"I can't help that you're a bad assassin." Issei said, rubbing her back.

"Best mistake I ever made."

"Hey, Raynare?"

Raynare pulled away from his shoulder, looking up at him.

"I meant what I said. I'll be with you till the day I die." Issei said, looking her in the eyes with a serious expression.

"...I can't win with you, can I?" Raynare said.

She shrouded them both in her wings, and pulled him into a loving kiss.

* * *

Far above the two of them, way up in the clouds, there was a city of gold and happiness. It was filled with angels and pure souls, and far above even them, there was a throne.

Now, this throne had sat empty for quite a long time, after the death of God. But, recently, another element of his Grand Plan had been set into motion, and someone did indeed sit on the throne now.

It was an old woman, with an elated smile on her face. She cackled softly to herself.

"Heavenly Mother, is something wrong?" A nearby angel, one with golden hair and twelve radiant wings, asked the woman.

"What makes you say that, dear?"

"You were laughing at something. I was just curious."

"Oh, it's nothing major. The old God and I were just having a bit of an experiment, is all. It's turning out wonderfully. And, haven't I told you not to call me that? It's too stuffy. My earthly name will do."

"Ah. My mistake, Lisa Lisa."

"That's so much better! Isn't it a wonderful name? Even better than my real one, I think." Lisa Lisa said, cackling.

"Teresa?"

"Bah! Too stuffy! You're going to make an old woman faint!" Lisa Lisa said, waving her hand in dismissal.

The angel laughed at his God's antics. She was a gift to the world, and the previous God had made no mistake in selecting her as a successor.

"I think it's time I pay them another visit. Won't you watch over things for me here, dear?"

"Of course, Heavenly-" "Ahem!" "Of course, Lisa Lisa." "Thank you."

* * *

Raynare and Issei had been in the same spot for hours. They'd fallen asleep there, wrapped in each other's arms and surrounded by Raynare's silver wings.

Raynare snored cutely in Issei's lap, and he slept silently. They both completely missed the knocking on their door.

Kalawarner cursed, shifting the groceries in her grip. "The last you lovebirds could do is leave the door unlocked…" The blue haired Fallen said, trying to manage several bags of groceries and fish for a key at the same time. Her knocking had been totally ignored by both of the other residents of the home, and so she was forced to make her own way in.

"Need some help, dearest?" Said a voice to her side. Kalawarner jumped, nearly dropping her bags in her fright. She quickly recovered on seeing who had actually spoken, though. It was just a cute old woman.

"Ah...I could use a hand, yeah. There's a key in my purse down there, if you could grab it…" Kalawarner said, pointing with her foot at the maroon bag on the ground.

"No need, honey! I've got one." Said the woman, before she flashed a key of her own.

Lisa Lisa opened the door and walked in, leaving a bewildered Kalawarner standing at the door and wondering what happened.

Lisa Lisa walked the front of the room, inspecting all the things they'd put in it. Pictures of Issei as a child, pictures of friends, pictures of the two of them. Furniture, odds and ends, a couple artifacts. They'd really turned it into a home, just like she'd wanted. She looked at the taped-over hole in the window, and chuckled. Issei really couldn't have just waited for Sadao to replace the window, could he?

Kalawarner brought the groceries in, setting them on a counter in the little kitchen connected to the main room. She saw the couple on the couch, wrapped in silver wings, and her eyes went wide.

Lisa Lisa noticed them at the same time, and gasped.

"Oh! Aren't they precious? Look at the two of them, all curled up like that." Lisa Lisa said, a radiant smile on her weathered face. She approached the couch, looking at the couple with a loving smile.

Kalawarner's mind was racing with a thousand different questions. Who was this woman? Why'd she have a key to Issei's penthouse? Was she supernatural? And what in the _world_ had happened to Raynare's wings?

Lisa Lisa looked behind her, to see Kalawarner looking absolutely shocked.

"Oh, right. Sorry, dearest. I suppose this is my fault. Why did you have a nap, hm?" Lisa Lisa said. Kalawarner's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed to the floor. Lisa Lisa hissed, imagining that that probably hurt. She snapped, and Kalawarner was suddenly in her bed in her bedroom, across the house.

"This is everything I hoped for...I'm so happy for the both of you." Lisa Lisa said, admiring Raynare's silver wings.

" _Heavenly Mother, you're needed in 5th Heaven. We've made a breakthrough."_ A communications magic circle played into Lisa Lisa's ear, before dissipating.

"Ah, poo. Well, that's all the time I have today, my cuties. Be strong for me, okay? It's gonna be a wild ride from here on out." Lisa Lisa said. She turned to leave, but then her head perked up as if she realized something.

She looked behind her, at the couple. Her eyes widened in shock, then happiness.

Lisa Lisa grinned. Then, she broke into a full on tap-dance, careful to be quiet. She didn't want to wake the couple up, but she was absolutely elated.

The elderly woman approached the two of them, slowly and quietly. She bent down by Raynare, and put her hand to the woman's stomach.

"You be strong too, alright? Mommy and Daddy are gonna love you."

Lisa Lisa stood back up, smile on her face, and teleported away.


	17. Doctor Elsa Hyoudou

"...ssei. Issei~. Issei!" Issei's eyes opened slowly, after he was woken by several pokes to the cheek.

"Whosawhat?" The groggy teen asked, shaking his head.

When his vision cleared, he was greeted by the sight of a smiling Raynare. She was still in her Kuoh uniform from the day before, and so was he.

"You're cute when you sleep." She said, smirking.

Issei didn't have anything to say back; he just blushed. She giggled.

Issei remembered the position they were in. She was sitting on his lap, and they were both on the couch.

"Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?" Raynare said with a sly grin.

Issei blushed violently. Raynare was _right_ on the center of his lap, and he'd just woken up.

"Uh...quarters?" He said, playing dumb.

"Really? Alright, how many are there?" Raynare asked, coy.

"Um...twenty-five." Issei's mind was blanking out.

"Really? It doesn't seem like twenty-five. Maybe I'll count them." Raynare said, lightly touching his...quarters.

Issei's face turned completely tomato red, and he shot up from the couch. Raynare stood up with him, laughing. Her wings were out behind her, and they shone the same silver they had yesterday. While Issei had found her raven feathers beautiful before, the silver wings were...breathtaking.

Raynare noticed him staring at her plumage, and she absentmindedly twitched the top two wings, bringing his attention back to her. It didn't last. As Issei slowly woke up, he looked out the window and realized the sun was already out in full force, something that wouldn't be the case if they were on time for school.

"Oh, man. What time is it?" Issei asked, slowly coming back to reality.

"Half past nine."

Issei's eyes went wide. They were _very_ late for school. "How long have you been up?"

"A few minutes."

"Agh…" Issei rubbed his forehead.

"What's the matter? It's not like you're gonna fail from missing _one_ day." Raynare said, retracting her wings.

"I mean, you're right...but…"

"Plus, it gives us more time to spend...together." Raynare said, getting up close to him. Issei fell backwards, back onto the couch. Raynare fell on top of him with a grin, blocking him from getting up.

" _As much as I'd love to see what kind of monster the two of you could cook up, I don't think I need to see it happen."_ A voice came from behind them, in the front door.

Issei and Raynare both sighed. She rolled off of him, and the two stood up.

"Yo." Azazel said with a grin. The man was dressed in black robes, and looked pretty comfortable.

"Do doors mean anything to you?" Issei asked.

"No. Why?" Azazel replied, grinning. He looked at Raynare, who was walking into the kitchen to get a drink, with curious eyes. "You seem...different."

Raynare snorted. "Tell me about it."

"Did something happen?" Azazel asked, looking between the two of them.

"You could say that, yeah." Issei answered, following Raynare into their attached kitchen.

"Well, I'm all ears." Azazel said, waiting for them to tell him what was going on.

Issei and Raynare looked at each other, Issei nodding to her. Raynare looked back at Azazel, and released her wings.

"...What?" Azazel asked, in dumb shock. He'd never once in his life seen an angel, fallen or otherwise, with silver wings. As a man who prided himself on his knowledge, to not know something was...less than desirable.

"Jealous?" Raynare asked, flapping her new wings.

"Did you get a paint job or something? There's no way those are real." Azazel said shaking his head.

"They're as real as you or me." Issei said.

"Okay, well...is anything different? I mean, your light, or magic, or anything?" Azazel asked, scraping for knowledge. He _would_ try to touch them or take a feather, but he knew the overprotective dragon wouldn't let it happen. Azazel remembered what happened last time he'd implied a threat against Raynare.

" _You won't touch her."_ Issei had said, way back. Azazel didn't doubt him.

"When I find out, you'll be the first...or maybe, like, third, to know. It only happened yesterday." Raynare quipped, annoyed by his flurry of questions.

"What were you doing when it happened? Was it instant?" Azazel asked, eager to scrape anything he could from this.

"Just...talking." Raynare said, shrugging.

"Hmm…" Azazel hummed, not quite believing her but not wanting to call her out on it.

"We've gotta get to school, so is there anything in particular you needed?" Issei asked, rifling through the fridge for something to eat.

"Uh, yeah. I ran some tests on that drug Kalawarner got dosed with, and I got some results."

"Really? What was it?" Raynare asked.

"It's a variation of a drug used by sacred gear wielding terrorists, called Chaos Break. Normally, it just lets them sort of...fuse with their gears, and become monstrously powerful, but the version used on Kalawarner was designed to drive normal people mad. I don't know how Freed got his hands on it, but that's not good…anyway, are the two of you busy?"

"I literally _just_ said we're going to school." Issei asked, standing up straight. There was nothing in the fridge, so he'd just be hungry till lunch.

Azazel snapped his fingers, like he'd forgotten. "Oh, right. Sorry, this silver wing thing has got me all mixed up. Well, I'll keep it quick; this is important. Do you remember a few weeks ago, the night you attacked the church?"

"Yeah, why?" Issei replied.

"I told you to ask Raynare to teach you how to contact me. You never did." Azazel said, grinning.

Issei grimaced. "Oh, right. Sorry about that, I just-"

"Don't worry about it. I should've explained better then, but I didn't have a chance. I'll start with this; your mom's name was Elsa, right?"

Issei's jaw dropped. He didn't even think _Raynare_ knew his parents' names. He'd definitely never talked about them. So, how did Azazel?

"Uh, yeah...Doctor Elsa Hyoudou. Why do you ask, and how do you know that?" Issei inquired, suspicious. Raynare watched without saying anything. Issei never talked about his mother, and she never asked. It was a sore subject.

"What do you know about her?" Azazel asked, rubbing his chin.

"I know she was a great person, and the car crash stole her and my dad too soon. Look, we've really got to get going…" Issei said, taking Raynare's hand. He started to walk to the door with her in tow, but Azazel's next words stopped him in his tracks.

"She left something for you." Azazel said, smiling.

Issei turned to him. He didn't say a word, he just walked back over to where the man was standing. His face was a cacophony of emotion, and he struggled to keep himself contained.

"What do you...what are you talking about?" Issei asked quietly.

Azazel reached behind him, and pulled an old leather-bound journal from his robe. He handed it to Issei, the boy snatching it hungrily.

As soon as he opened it, a letter fell out of the front of the book, which Issei caught before it could hit the ground. He started opening it, and Azazel cleared his throat, grabbing Issei's attention.

"I'll leave you to it. Give me a ring sometime this week, huh? We've got a bit to talk about. It's been a long time, Issy." Azazel said, waving and teleporting away.

Issei's mouth and eyes were wide open. He held the letter and journal in his hands, staring at the floor where Azazel had been.

"Issy? What in the world is that nickname?" Raynare asked, confused.

"There's only one person who ever called me that...but...there's no way…" Issei mumbled, shocked to the core.

"Who was it? Issei?" Raynare asked, looking at his face with concern.

"One of my mom's oldest friends, pretty much my uncle...she called him Ziz. Wait a second...Ziz...Azazel...are you fucking kidding me?!" Issei suddenly yelled, figuring something out. Raynare looked surprised. Issei almost _never_ cursed. To hear him do so, and do it _loud_ , made her assume something crazy just happened.

"Issei, what are you talking about?"

"Azazel is my uncle!" Issei said, whirling around to face Raynare. He had stars in his eyes, and looked more excited than she'd ever seen him.

Raynare rapidly opened and closed her eyes, trying to come to terms with what Issei had just said. "Your...uncle. But, you're a human?"

"Not _biologically_ , of course, but he was really close with my mom, to the point where he was basically family. But, if it was really Azazel...why did he wait so long to tell me? Why did he leave me with that _garbage_?" Issei asked, suddenly becoming solemn. Why would Uncle Ziz leave him with his awful step parents? Surely he knew Issei was suffering?

"Hey, Issei, I'm sure he had his reasons...Azazel's not a bad guy, if he left you there, he didn't do it to hurt you." Raynare said, wrapping her arms around Issei's shoulders. He touched her hand, trying to glean some assurance. All thoughts of school were forgotten as Issei remembered the letter and journal.

Issei set the journal down on a countertop, near where they stood in the kitchen, and opened up the envelope the letter was in. Inside, were several pieces of old paper. He gingerly took the yellowed documents from the envelope, and unfolded them.

 _My dearest child, if this letter reaches you well, I want you to know, I love you so much. Your father and I had to leave you early, it would seem, and for that, I am so sorry._

Tears fell from Issei's eyes as he read the first part of the letter from his mother. Raynare was right there beside him, reading along.

 _I have much to say and little time to say it, so I will keep myself brief; I have known about the supernatural world for quite some time. It was first revealed to me when I unwittingly worked with the governor general of the Fallen Angels, Azazel, on a project in Jerusalem. Can you believe it? Azazel himself, as recorded in the bible! I suppose, you know him as Ziz._

 _Yes, your Uncle Ziz is the highest of the Grigori. As you are right now, you're probably going to have mixed feelings about him. "Why did he leave me with those awful people?" You'll think, I assume. But, don't hate him. I ordered the man, in the event of your father and I dying, to cut all contact with you and your step-parents. I didn't want you becoming involved with the supernatural until I could be sure you were ready; and now, I hope you are. If everything went according to plan, you should've met Azazel several times already, though I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't give any signs of being Ziz. He never failed to impress me with his skills in deception._

 _Anyway, if this letter was delivered in a timely manner as instructed, you should be in your late teens. This is the same age your father became aware of the supernatural, and so I think you should too be able to handle it. You always shared his strength, even as a boy._

 _In the event that you haven't been told about the supernatural, allow me a brief explanation; things are not as they seem. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, Gods, Demons, Monsters, and all manner of other being walk this Earth with you. I wish I could be there to tell you more, but alas, all I can share with you is this; keep your mind open, and your eyes wide, and I should think you'll see more than your share of otherworldly creatures in your time, just as I did._

 _But, I digress. You're probably wondering, "why would you leave me with those awful people?" Well, Issei, I have no answer that can justify what you went through. We gave your step-parents exclusive rights to you, because we needed you safe. While your life with them was far from ideal, it was a protected one. If everything predicted has come to pass, you should be reaping the benefits of our choice by now, no? If not, I deeply apologize, and I ask that you keep your head up, my son. You're destined for greatness, I know you are. Don't let something as trivial as two mean step-parents get in the way of your conquests, hm?_

Tears fell freely from Issei's eyes. Raynare had stepped back, letting him have his moment with his long-dead mother. She could sense deep sadness within the boy, but also unfathomable happiness.

 _Issei, my darling. Time grows short. I have instructed Ziz to give this letter to you and make contact if and only if he thinks you ready, and to keep an eye on you from the shadows. I have so much to tell you, but if I were to 'keep a long story short' as they say, I would tell you this; I have seen your future. In my travels, I came across an item that showed me the future of myself and two others; you and your father. Of course, your father and I shared the same fate, but you, my son, have a much greater path ahead. I have adhered to the prophesized chain of events just as I was shown, but even then I cannot be sure everything will come to pass as I have seen._

 _If this_ _ **is**_ _the correct future, then won't you tell Raynare I approve? I'm so happy for the both of you, and I could not hope for a better daughter-in-law. And, hey. Don't be afraid to go on the offensive with her. I promise, you won't regret it._

Issei smiled through the tears. His mom was one step ahead, as always.

 _Ah, I know I must sound like a broken record, but my end is drawing ever closer. Within this journal, you will find a record of all my exploits, and I do hope you'll choose to continue it with adventures of your own. The ring I have given you will serve you greatly, and I hope, if anything else, you have also kept the dagger; it too was quite the find._

 _Issei. Tonight is the night your father and I go to the cinema. I'm sure, if you're reading this, you know what that means._

 _My son, I miss you. I love you so, so, so, so so_ _ **so**_ _very much, and I only wish that I could be beside you as you triumph. I'm proud of you, and if your father had seen what I did, I know he would be too. You've become a fine young man, and it is my greatest sorrow that I can't be there to watch you grow up with my own eyes. I know you'll read this with tears in your eyes, but please don't be sad. You've made me the happiest mother in the world._

 _Even in my whole life as a treasure hunter, nothing I've ever found could compare to you, my little boy._

 _Goodbye, Issei._

 _~Elsa Hyoudou, loving mother_

Issei gingerly set the stack of letters on the countertop next to him, and then braced himself on the same counter. Raynare was by his side in an instant, ready to comfort him. The boy sobbed, but he was smiling all the same.

The two of them didn't say anything, they just stood there. Issei cried into Raynare's shoulder, just as she'd done to him. She knew what he was going through better than anybody.

After several minutes, Issei pulled himself away. His face was red and puffy, but he still smiled. Raynare looked up at him, concerned.

"I'm gonna go take a shower, alright? We need to get ready for later." Issei said, wiping his eyes.

Raynare knew he was just going into the shower to cry some more, but she couldn't exactly judge him for that, could she? Not that she would, anyway.

"Sure thing. Don't hurt yourself, or I'll come in after you." Raynare said, winking. Issei laughed, and fled to their room.

As soon as he was gone, Raynare's curiosity got the better of her. She gently picked up the letter, quickly going over what it said. She gasped, and covered her mouth. She didn't cry, but she too was smiling for Issei. He must not have had any kind of closure, and this was exactly that. Sighing, she turned the papers over, more as a reflex than anything, not really expecting anything from it.

But, she was surprised to see more writing on the back of the last page. Raynare glanced to the bedroom, making sure Issei wasn't coming back, and then back down to the letter. To her great suprise, the writing on the back was addressed to her.

 _Dear Raynare,_

 _I'm sorry you and I will never get to meet; I would've loved the chance to thank you in person._

 _You might be confused as to how I'm talking to you, but remember what the other side said; I've seen the future. I know as soon as Issei went to cry in the shower, you went for this letter. Don't worry, I'm not mad, and he won't be either. If you hadn't looked, he would've shown you anyway, so don't feel bad._

 _But, back to my main point. From the bottom of my heart, Raynare:_

 _Thank you._

 _You saved my child. I know very well he would've killed himself, had you not shown up. And for that, I can never thank you enough. And, if what I'm saying makes no sense to you, allow me to elaborate._

 _The day after you asked him out, when he was getting beaten up, Issei was going to kill himself. He had every intention of going home and cutting his own wrists. I guess I should explain a bit better; I didn't see_ _ **the**_ _future, per se, I saw many_ _ **possible**_ _futures. And, much to my horror, in the ones where you didn't get to him fast enough, I had to watch my own son kill himself. I can't even begin to describe the feeling, watching my little boy take his own life...I shudder at the recollection._

 _But, you saved him. In this future, if you're reading this, you saved my son._

 _Raynare, if you'd asked me a while ago who the best match for my son would be, I don't think "Fallen Angel assassin sent to kill him" would ever have even crossed my mind. But, then I saw how the two of you meshed. You fit together like pieces on a puzzle. I've seen you talk, I've seen you laugh, I've seen you cry. If you gave me a thousand years and a list of all the people on the planet, I couldn't come up with a better match for him. You're his perfect girl._

 _Oh, how I wish I could've been there to see you walk the aisle. You're going to look wonderful in your wedding dress, I know it. It makes my heart heavy to know I'll never meet my daughter-in-law, but all the same, I'm glad to have had this chance to tell you how I feel._

 _Now, as I said to Issei, my time draws near. I have only one more thing to say._

 _Take care of my baby, will you? I'm entrusting my child to you, Raynare. I'm sure, as a woman, you understand what this means. Ah, I wish I could be there to see your face. Oh well._

 _Goodbye, Raynare._

 _~Doctor Elsa Hyoudou, proud mother-in-law_

 _PS. Maybe invest in some baby shoes? If it's a girl, Rachel. If it's a boy...come up with something good, will you? Issei is bad at names. XOXO._

Raynare's mouth hung open wide, and her eyes, too, grew wet. She wiped her face, not wanting to cry, and set the pages back down where Issei'd had them. Elsa's letter had been...shocking, for several reasons.

Issei was going to kill himself? Lisa Lisa had mentioned it, once, but to think he really would've done it...it made Raynare sick. And then, what was that about babies? There was no way, not after one time...not as a Fallen Angel...right?

Raynare's head was spinning, and she didn't notice Issei come out of their room. The boy, dressed in only a towel, jumped at her from behind, and yelled her name.

"Raynare!"

"Ah!"

Raynare nearly jumped out of her skin, Issei scared her so much. She turned to the laughing Issei, glaring at him. Her heart was pounding, and then she saw him, standing there, in the towel, dripping wet...and her heart started to pound a bit more. Recovering her wits, she turned on him.

"Oh, Issei. Could it be, perhaps, you want another taste of what happened the other night?" Raynare asked, seductive. She sauntered towards him, swaying her hips and biting her bottom lip.

The towel-clad boy suddenly lost his smile, realizing he'd just startled a very predatory Fallen Angel.

"Wait, Raynare, we've got to go to school…"

"We're already late, we can be a minute. Rias wants to leave after classes, so we've got a bit anyway. Don't think you're just going to get away with scaring me. I'll get my payback…" Raynare said, cornering him against the wall. She undid the loose ribbon at the top of her uniform, and unbuttoned the top two buttons on her shirt, leaving Issei with a bird's eye view.

Issei narrowed his eyes. "Alright, fine. Fine. Mom said I should take the offensive, so I will." Issei said. He grabbed Raynare's right arm at the elbow, and pulled her in for a kiss...only, he skipped her lips and went straight for the unsuspecting angel's collarbone. His other hand landed on her thigh, and started snaking up.

Raynare moaned, not expecting the sudden move from Issei at all. But, she didn't let it stop her from reciprocating. She hastily undid the knot on Issei's towel with her free hand, leaving him completely in the nude. The boy only paused for a moment, before returning to the rapidly forming hickey on his angel's neck.

They did, in fact, not go to school.

* * *

"They should be here already." Rias said, aggravated.

"They weren't in class today, from what I've heard. Maybe something happened?" Akeno offered, thinking.

"Someone would've told us if something went down, right?" Kiba asked.

The Occult Research Club was gathered on the second floor of the Old School Building, their headquarters. They all looked ready for a trip, with bags packed and all. Matsuda and Asia sat on one of the couches, Koneko and Kiba on the other, and Rias sat at her desk, with Akeno standing behind her.

Mid-conversation, the door quietly creaked open. Everyone in the room turned to see Issei poke his head in, then enter with Raynare. They both had bags that were obviously packed in a hurry, and their clothing was disheveled. Issei had a blush, and Raynare was practically glowing.

"You guys were doing the nasty, weren't you?" Koneko asked, sniffing the air with a disgusted look.

"No-" "Yup." Issei and Raynare both had very different reactions, making the whole ORC feel a bit awkward.

Rias hesitated, blinking rapidly, before getting down to business. "...Okay, well, now that we're all here, we can go. It's a short train ride, and then we'll hike a bit, and then we'll be at one of the Gremory mansions. Everybody ready?"

Everybody answered in the affirmative, and within moments, they were on route to the train.

* * *

 **No author's note, I don't feel like writing one. If you have an issue, just PM me.**


	18. No matter what?

**Fanfiction! I never yielded! And as you can see, I am _not dead!_**

 **Yes, I did rip that quote from Black Panther (great movie) and no, I won't apologize. Basically, what I'm saying is, even though my updates are coming slower and slower, I'm not dead, and this story isn't over till I say it's over. I've decided, that since I have lost basically all time to write (blame university) I'll just focus solely on His Angel for the moment. Don't freak out, nothing is on hiatus or abandoned (except Last Spartan, that's totally abandoned) I just don't have the time to keep up with 5 or however many stories and still produce quality content.**

 **So, I'll just briefly address some concerns people have been having with the story. Nothing super major, just a couple things bugging me and some other folks that I figured I'd clarify.**

 **1\. Why'd you give Matsuda a place in the peerage? Why didn't you kill Matsuda?**

 **A. Well, if you haven't yet noticed, the theme of this story is redemption, sort of, and that extends past Issei and Raynare. Matsuda is a side character, so I don't really get why some people are so fired up about his place in everything (he won't be important for much longer, don't fret) but I figure if Issei can forgive Raynare for trying to kill him and then actually killing his (awful as they may have been) step parents, he can forgive Matsuda. And, it's not like they just became instant best friends; there is realistic development going on. Cut me some slack. As for his place in the peerage, that's just due to worldbuilding and his place in the plot. No two ways about it, someone had to replace Issei as Rias' pawn.**

 **2\. The lemon ruined the story! REEEE!**

 **A. No, it didn't, and it's not just there for the sake of being a lemon. It's extremely crucial to the plot. Make sure you understand things before telling me I should've written "2 his angel with lemons and without for delight your fans" cus that's dumb. Just saying.**

 **3\. I don't like how Azazel is related to Issei!**

 **A. He's not. Azazel was friends with Issei's mother; and if you had to label it they'd be old friends who call each other family. And, if it's not the specifics that get you, you just didn't like the plot point, then idk what to tell you. Read the other fluff stories, I guess.**

 **...**

 **...**

 **That's about it, for now. I'll get out of your way, so...enjoy. I think you'll like this chapter; I sure did. Read and Review.**

* * *

"So that's what a devil mansion looks like, huh?" Issei asked, dropping his cargo on the ground and sighing in relief.

"Not what you expected?" Raynare asked, walking beside him.

"I don't think so…" Issei replied, shaking his head.

"What _did_ you expect?" Akeno asked, walking behind the two of them.

"Not something so...normal, I guess." Issei answered, picking his bags back up and continuing along the trail they'd been walking. On his right was Raynare, in front of him was Rias, behind all of them were Akeno, Kiba and Koneko, and far behind even those three were Matsuda and Asia. Matsuda's bag was easily twice as big as anything Issei carried, large to the point of being comical. He struggled to move with it on, and Asia refused to leave the boy's side, so they both lagged far behind.

Ironically enough, nearly all of the peerage's actual gear was stored in another massive bag, atop Koneko's shoulders. Matsuda's was, in reality, filled with mostly _rocks_ , as per a suggestion Raynare made, for "strength training." Nobody knew but her and Rias. The angel struggled not to laugh at the poor ex-bully.

All of the peerage were dressed in workout clothes, and the loving couple was wearing casual outfits they'd changed into on the train ride. Issei had on jeans and a black long-sleeve, rolled up to his elbows, and Raynare wore a black tracksuit with silver lining, her hair tied in a ponytail.

After they'd all gotten off of the 'short' train ride, they began the several mile hike to the Gremory mansion in their underworld territory. Most of the peerage was fine with the exertion, save for Asia, who was sweating profusely. Matsuda's athletic background was helping him a bit, but his bag of rocks was keeping him from going as fast as he normally would.

Raynare carried nothing, as, naturally, Issei had taken all her things and carried them himself. Even their luggage put together was nothing for the boy, who'd started to put on lean muscle from the first day he'd awoken his sacred gear.

Not to mention, he'd slyly boosted himself a couple of times so he wouldn't get tired and look like a wimp.

As the group neared the end of their hike and the mansion came into view, everybody started moving a bit faster, motivated by the thought of stopping.

Within ten minutes, nearly the entire group had made it to the front of the mansion, where everyone was standing in a semi-circle waiting for the two stragglers to catch up. In another five, Matsuda finally trudged up, barely standing, Asia beside him. As he neared the group, his foot caught a stone buried in the ground, and he fell down face-first, the contents of his bag spilling out in front of him.

Issei burst out laughing, Raynare smiled knowingly, and the rest of the peerage winced as an avalanche of various size rocks sprung forth. Matsuda, picking himself up, narrowed his eyes at the rocks that had fallen out of his bag, then turned his gaze on a smiling Rias.

"Strength training." The devil said, smirking and tilting her head.

Matsuda scoffed and threw down the bag, rolling his shoulders back and forth in frustrated relief.

Rias looked around, checking to make sure everyone was present, and then magically produced a key and opened the large front door of the mansion, walking inside. The group followed close behind.

As everyone shuffled inside, Rias began to address the situation.

"Alright, everybody. We'll be staying in two rooms, so we don't trash the place; girls in one, boys in another. After we all set our things down and take a breather, we'll all meet up outside for some training, alright?"

Everyone agreed, Issei handed Raynare her things, and the two groups parted ways. Issei went with Kiba and Matsuda, while Raynare followed the rest of the girls.

* * *

"You two are good together in a room, right?" Kiba asked hesitantly, as the three boys walked into a large room with several beds and plenty of space around each.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Matsuda asked, throwing his actual bag on top of the bed furthest from the door.

"I know you have...history." Kiba said, trying to avoid stepping on a mine. He knew Matsuda had viciously bullied Issei as recently as a couple months ago, but he didn't know anything specific. He also knew Matsuda had apologized, but the Knight had his own old wounds. He understood better than anyone that an apology for something like that is as good as a band-aid on an amputation.

Issei and Matsuda's relationship had been steadily improving after the battle at the church, but it was still tense. While Kiba wanted to help them both move past it, he also didn't want to cause a bad confrontation. So, he'd just let things be for now.

"I think we'll be fine." Issei said, tossing his stuff on another one of the beds, coincidentally the one furthest from Matsuda's.

"Alright, if you guys think you can handle it." Kiba said reluctantly. "Once your stuff is down, let's go wait for the girls."

* * *

"Raynare, quick question." Rias said, as the peerage girls and the angel walked down a large hallway en-route to their bedroom.

"What?" Raynare asked, pulled out of her thoughts by the devil.

"How proficient are you in magic?"

"I've been alive for four thousand years."

"So, proficient…?"

"Yes. Very."

"In just light magic, or other types as well?"

"Mostly just light. Fallen Angel magic, of course. Some standard white and black magic, and a handful of elemental spells." Raynare said, filing through her internal grimoire. A life as long as hers was sure to amount plenty of knowledge, and there was a reason she had six wings. "Why are you asking?"

"Training purposes, naturally. Akeno and I could use tutoring with our elemental spells, and Asia would greatly benefit from learning white magic." Rias said, thinking. "Obviously, we can't learn Fallen or light magic, but it would be good to see exactly what you're capable of."

"Killing everyone on Riser's peerage in five minutes." Raynare said matter-of-factly. She wasn't being a prick; it was true. Low class devils would be nothing against a six-winged angel. If you went on wing amount alone, she was half as strong as Azazel himself. How that monster had managed to acquire twelve wings, she had no idea, but with six, she was a force to be reckoned with all on her own. The only one on Riser's peerage would could go toe-to-toe with her for more than thirty seconds is Riser himself, and as a devil of the Phenex, his one weakness is her greatest strength.

"Okay, well, could you...not, do that?" Rias asked, thrown off by the unexpected response. She knew Raynare was powerful, but that had been a very stark reminder.

"Why? Wouldn't it be easiest to just fly over to Riser and take him out?" Raynare asked, knowing full well exactly why that would be a bad idea. It would make Rias look like a terrible King, but it would protect herself and Issei from being hurt or anything during the game.

Raynare always did hate devil society. Just because Rias had a strong servant, or at least the illusion of one, she'd be looked upon extremely unfavorably for winning too easily.

"Well, yes, but the way devils are, they wouldn't like that at all. I'd get called a terrible king, and probably wouldn't be allowed back in the rating games for quite a while. A strong servant, a proxy piece no less, instantly wiping the entire enemy team would be extremely embarrassing." Rias explained, telling Raynare things the angel already knew.

"If you say so. Let me guess, you want me to only use two wings and basic light magic, right?" Raynare asked, realizing she'd have to weaken herself during the game to put on a better show.

"That would be best, yes. Unless something gets dire, I'd like you to maintain the illusion of being near our level. That being said, I _need_ to win." Rias said, basically giving Raynare permission to go all out if the situation required it.

"I hear you." The angel replied, completely understanding.

"Here we are." Akeno announced, as they all came to a doorway. The queen opened it, and they all filled inside. Raynare threw her things down on a random bed and waited for the rest of them to do the same, but the other girls were taking _eternity_ to just put their things down and get ready. She grew impatient as ten minutes passed.

Just as Raynare was about to start juggling a fireball to pass the time, Rias announced that they were all ready to go. The angel breathed a silent sigh of relief, and followed her back outside.

* * *

"Have either of you ever used a sword before?" Kiba asked Issei and Matsuda. The three of them were grouped up a little bit away from the mansion, where they were waiting to meet the girls. They'd been there for almost ten minutes already, so Kiba decided to just get a headstart on things.

"No." Issei replied.

"Neither have I." Matsuda said.

"Would either of you _like_ to use a sword?" Kiba asked. His sphere of expertise was limited to swords and the use of them, so if neither Issei or Matsuda wanted anything to do with a blade he'd really have nothing to teach them.

"Uh, maybe. It depends." Matsuda said, raising his hand. His dog manifested by his side, in the form of a pitch-black wolf. "Can you do a sword?" He asked the wolf, and it leapt onto his hand, changing into a wicked looking razor-sharp katana. The hilt was jagged and uneven, the was no guard, and the blade was curved. There were glowing red symbols etched into the side, written in some ancient text.

"Uh...wow. You sure can do a sword." The boy said, turning the malevolent blade in his hand.

"That...is a vicious sword, Matsuda. I wouldn't want to get cut with it." Kiba said, admiring the blade from a...safe distance. The sword looked ready to strike out at anyone who got too close, which, in Kiba's secret opinion, sounded exactly like it's master. The knight turned to Issei.

"What about you? Do you have any interest in using a sword?" Kiba asked.

"Well, not a sword, but I've got this dagger…" Issei said, reaching behind him. He pulled on an invisible hilt, and from an invisible scabbard, drew a very real dagger.

Kiba felt the holy aura as soon as the hidden blade appeared. "Issei, what is that?"

"According to my mom's journal, it's called Carnwennan. It was the dagger of King Arthur, rumored to shroud the user in shadow." Issei said, twirling the artifact in his hands. Where Matsuda's sword looked brutal and wicked, Issei's dagger looked magnificent and regal. The hilt was white, and the blade itself shone with an immaculate silver. There were white gems, quite possibly diamonds, set in the hilt, with a white gold inlay going all down both sides of the blade. It was truly a gorgeous weapon.

"That's amazing." Kiba breathed out, near silent. While he held no love for King Arthur's flagship weapon, Excalibur, this dagger was previously unknown to him, and it was an incredible work of art. He couldn't help but be awestruck.

"That's pretty cool, I gotta say." Matsuda said, nodding in approval.

"So is that rumor true? Can it really 'shroud you in shadow'? Kiba asked, admiring the excellent craftsmanship of the weapon.

"Sort of...I wouldn't say shadow, really, but it can do this." Issei said. The boy walked under a nearby tree, in the shadow of the large oak. Issei thumbed one of the gems set into the hilt, making a show out of the action so Kiba could see it. The shadow of the tree seemed to roll over him, and he completely disappeared from sight.

Kiba gasped. Even Matsuda looked mildly impressed.

"That's amazing! You're totally invisible!" Kiba said, searching the area.

"Yeah, you're totally gone." Matsuda said, glancing around.

"It's pretty great, yeah. As long as my finger stays on the gem, I'll stay invisible. There is a drawback, though." Issei's voices seemed muffled and far away, a side-effect of the invisibility.

He moved out from under the try into the sunlight. As soon as he crossed from the darkness into the light, something horrific happened.

The shadows that had wrapped around Issei were trying their hardest to rip away from him, and they screamed in pain. He was partially visible wherever the shadows tore away, and within the space of about twenty seconds, Issei was left standing completely visible in the sunlight, breathing heavily.

"What in the world was that?" Kiba asked, mortified by the grotesque screams of literal shadows.

"The shadows...don't like the light…" Issei said, panting.

"That's quite the drawback-" Kiba started, before being interrupted.

"Alright, are you guys ready to start?" Rias asked, her and all the girls walking out of the mansion.

Matsuda sighed in grim anticipation. He was already tired from the hike, and who knew what Rias was going to make them do next.

"We're all ready. I was just about to start teaching them the basics of the sword." Kiba said, gesturing to the two boys with weapons out.

"Alright, keep doing that then. Run Issei through some drills and such, and I'll have Matsuda go with Koneko for now, you two will work on physical training and hand to hand. A little bit later, you'll switch, Issei with Koneko and Matsuda with Kiba. Asia and Raynare, you come with Akeno and I, and we'll work on some magic. Everybody ready? Let's train hard!"

* * *

 _ **5 days later**_

* * *

Issei crept quietly through the thick woods outside the mansion, desperately trying to get a bead on where the next slash would come from. Rain drenched him, and his shoes sloshed with every movement.

He wasn't fast enough, and took a shallow cut in the right arm, turning just in time to watch Kiba dart away almost too fast for him to see. If he had his dagger, or a couple boosts, he'd be giving the Swordsman a thrashing, but that would ruin the point of the training.

"Use more than just your eyes! If you're only looking, you'll never see me coming!" Kiba's words echoed around Issei like surround sound, making him wonder if the knight had learned to throw his voice or if he was just moving that fast.

"More than just my eyes, huh…? What a load of…" Issei trailed off, mumbling obscenities that would make even Raynare blush. He steadied himself, and slowed his rapid breathing. He narrowed his eyes, and tuned into his surroundings with more than just his sight.

He listened for footsteps, and rustles in the vegetation. He felt for disturbances in the air. He even tried to smell the knight, but the pouring rain had canceled any chance of that happening.

Sure enough, he was starting to get a feel for Kiba's location, several feet behind him to his right. Issei dropped into a stance, and when Kiba shot forward to slice him, Issei was ready.

The knight swung his sword from left to right, using the momentum from his forward leap to try and hit Issei before the boy could move, but Issei was ready this time. He narrowly deflected Kiba's wrist, and sent a jab into his solar plexus, leaving him bent over and gasping for breath.

"Wow…you're...improving...a lot…" Kiba said, recovering.

"Thanks. You, uh, might want to talk with Asia about that." Issei suggested. A good hit in the solar plexus would leave a person unable to breathe properly for quite a while with even a _normal_ amount of force, not taking into account Issei's enhanced strength. He hadn't boosted himself, but the sheer presence of the boosted gear gave him several draconian enhancements, and raw muscle power was one of them. Ever since he'd started seriously training, he'd been steadily gaining strength at a massive rate, and it showed.

"Good...idea...let's go back…" Kiba groaned, clutching at his stomach and trying to put on a smile.

The downpour was starting to let up as Issei and Kiba made their way back to the mansion. They arrived just in time to the end of a match between Rias, Akeno, and Raynare. The two devils were teaming up against Raynare, but it didn't seem to matter. She was effortlessly deflecting their all spells, looking almost bored.

"Are you even trying?" Raynare asked, feigning a yawn. The angel hovered lazily above the ground, invisible barriers lighting up and defending her every time a spell came close.

Rias grit her teeth. Her clothes were ragged and torn, and her breathing was labored. Akeno was in the same shape.

"Fine, take this!" Rias yelled, outstretching her hands and sending a beam of pure Destruction magic at Raynare.

Raynare sent it into the ground with a literal flick of her finger. Rias looked shocked, and Akeno had lost her trademark grin. The two of them had never once seen an enemy block the family power of the Gremory, much less so easily.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't use that? Oh well, not like it matters…" Raynare muttered. She flared her six black wings, and dispelled all the barriers and wards she had around her.

Rias and Akeno had just enough time to widen their eyes before a barrage of red light spears hailed down on them, too fast to even see. They both put up their arms in a pitiful defense, but neither of them were actually hit.

Rias hesitantly opened her eyes after a moment, and she saw a circle of light spears around her, and a square around Akeno. Really, the shapes didn't matter. What mattered, is what they meant. By purposefully drawing around them, Raynare was essentially saying "I could've killed you a hundred times during that and there's nothing you could've done to stop me" and they both knew it.

Kiba looked on in awe from beside Issei. He'd known a six-winged fallen was vastly superior to a two-winged one, but enough to beat his King and Queen without breaking a sweat? It was terrifying.

Issei watched with pride and a smug look. _Obviously_ Raynare would outpace them at every turn; she was over four thousand years old. When Rias had told her earlier "don't go easy on us" Issei had known instantly how it would turn out, and he was honestly surprised Raynare didn't beat them sooner.

"If I had two wings, you'd have beaten me, no question. I'd say you might even stand a good chance against a four winged angel. But not me." Raynare said, slowly descending to the ground and withdrawing her wings. She looked frustrated, and...scared?

"How did you block my destruction magic? That shouldn't be possible…" Rias asked, trailing off.

"With redirection magic. It can eat through a barrier, sure, but it won't hit me if it's going the wrong way." Raynare said matter-of-factly. She snapped her fingers, and all the light spears disappeared. Rias didn't say anything back, and she looked like someone had just knocked over her sandcastle.

"Has anyone...seen Asia?" Kiba said, getting everyone's attention.

"I think we could all use a visit with her…" Rias said. She walked over to Kiba and pulled his arm around her shoulder. The two of them and Akeno walked off to the other side of the mansion, looking for their bishop.

Issei and Raynare were left alone, standing out in the slow downfall of rain. She seemed unfocused, and was staring at one of the craters that littered the training ground.

Issei approached her quietly, realizing she hadn't noticed him. He came up behind her, and grabbed her shoulders with a yell. Raynare didn't even react.

"So, they fell for your disguise? Nobody knows you're silver now?" Issei asked, ignoring the odd lack of a response.

"What? Oh, yeah...yeah." Raynare murmured, surprised, like she just realized he was there.

The rain picked up again, sending a downpour washing over the both of them. A cold wind blew, shaking and rustling all the nearby trees. It was a very bleak day, overall.

"Raynare, what's wrong?" Issei asked, sensing something troubling her.

Raynare looked up at the sky, and he swore he could see tears behind the raindrops.

"Issei, do you still love me?"

"What? Of course!"

"No...no matter what?"

"There's nothing in heaven or hell that could ever change how I feel about you." Issei said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She trembled in his grip, and didn't respond.

"Raynare, please...tell me what's wrong." He continued, extremely worried.

"It's...I...you...I...I can't." Raynare murmured, barely getting a single word out.

"I'm here, Raynare. I'm here. I'll never leave you, no matter what. You're all I have." Issei whispered, trying to reassure her.

"Issei, I...I'm so scared…I'm not ready…" Raynare sad, her voice trembling.

Whatever had happened to her, it left her extremely shaken. Issei had never seen her this terrified, not when she told him how she fell, not when she confessed to him, not even when he ran away from her in the mall.

"Whatever's wrong, I'm here. Let's go inside, and we'll sit down for a minute. Okay?" Issei said, trying his hardest to comfort her. If it was something one of the peerage members had done, well...they'd know the Red Dragon's wrath.

Raynare nodded mutely, and followed the boy back into the mansion. All of the peerage members were still outside with Asia, so they had the place to themselves. Issei took her into one of the single bedrooms, one they weren't using for anything. He used an extremely rudimentary spell to dry them both off, then used Ddraig's power to warm himself, and by extension, her. He closed the door behind them.

Issei led the girl onto the bed, and they both sat down. She immediately buried her head in his chest, and he soothingly rubbed her back and head.

"What's wrong, Raynare…? You know I'm here for you…" Issei said, trying to keep himself calm. When Raynare was scared, he had a hard time keeping himself from worrying.

"It's...Issei, I know you love me, but...that wouldn't ever change, right…?" She said, in almost a whisper. She wasn't crying anymore, but her voice trembled and cracked, and her eyes threatened to spill more tears.

"Not in a million years. There's nothing that could ever make me stop loving you." Issei said, wrapping her in a hug.

"Not even…?" Raynare murmured something, too low for even Issei's enhanced hearing to pick up.

"Not even what?" Issei asked, gently moving the hair out of her eyes.

"Not even...a kid?" Raynare whispered. Her eyes held nothing but fear as she looked up at Issei.

"...what?" Issei breathed out. Had he heard her right?

"A child. Ours. Issei, I...I'm...pregnant."

Issei was stunned silent. He knew she wasn't joking, not with how she was acting. But, all the same, hadn't she said Fallen Angels don't get pregnant easily? And on their first time, no less?

"You...what?" A million questions were running through his mind, but he could only get one out.

"I'm pregnant. Your mom left something in that note for me and it said something about buying baby shoes and it made me nervous so this morning I used a spell and I checked just to make sure, and, oh God…" Raynare went on and on, the tears finally raining from her eyes.

Issei was shell-shocked. Of all the things she could've said, that wasn't what he was expecting at all.

' _Pregnant…? I'm going to be a father…?'_ Issei thought. His body seemed to have gone numb, and he was all of a sudden stricken by terror unlike any he'd ever known.

He was going to be a _father._ He wasn't ready! He wasn't even out of high school yet! They weren't even _married!_

"But...you said...you said Fallen don't get pregnant easy, I thought-"

"We normally don't! It usually takes hundreds of tries for a Fallen to conceive, but _lucky us…_ " Raynare said, crying into Issei's chest.

"I...I'm not ready to be a dad...I'm only seventeen…" Issei whispered, trying desperately not to panic.

"Issei, what are we going to do?" Raynare asked. She really had no idea. Issei wasn't out of highschool, much less college. He didn't have a job. She _definitely_ didn't have a job. Neither of them had the first clue on how to take care of a child. They just weren't ready.

 **[You're both overreacting.]**

The voice of the Red Dragon Emperor himself caught both of them off guard, and Issei held up his hand in numb surprise.

"Ddraig?" Issei asked quietly.

 **[Yes, it's Ddraig. Sweet Ophis, I can't believe I got stuck with such a whiny host.]**

"What? Are you-"

 **[No, no. Now is when I talk and you listen. Issei, you're going to be a** _ **father**_ **. That's the greatest joy any man can ever experience. Stop bellyaching about not being ready and make yourself ready. I don't want to hear anything about your age or school; none of that matters, relatively speaking.]**

"But-"

 **[You have created life. I can feel it, even now, inside your mate. That's a miracle, partner. Everything else in your life must be pushed aside, to assure you provide the best possible life for your hatchling. You shouldn't be sad, children. You should rejoice.]**

Issei looked to Raynare, both of their fears assuaged by the wise dragon's words. Even under all the worry and fright, Issei knew there was no sadness in either himself or her. He could even feel, way down deep, a shining glimmer of happiness. Ddraig was right. He was going to be a _dad._ All of a sudden, he was bursting with joy. It almost made him want to laugh.

Raynare's mind was a sea of conflicting emotions. What Ddraig said was right, of course, but she couldn't help but feel afraid. Deep down, Raynare knew...she was a bad person. She had killed before, and wouldn't mind killing again if she had a good reason. She'd stolen and lied and done all sorts of awful things. Silver wings or not, she knew she wouldn't be a good role model, or a good teacher. God knows she wouldn't be a good mothe-

"Hey, Raynare. I know what you're thinking." Issei said, a smile on his face. Raynare was shocked. How could he be smiling at a time like this?

"What…?"

"You're thinking 'I'm not gonna be a good mom because I've been bad', right?" Issei said, mimicking her voice.

"Well, that's, I mean-"

"Well, it's not true. Ddraig's convinced me. I'm gonna be a dad. You're gonna be a mom. The mother of our child. And I couldn't be more happy. You're going to be the _best_ mom, I know it." Issei said, a happy tear forming in his eye. He held her hands tightly, and looked at her with more love than you'd think possible.

Raynare wanted to cry even harder. Why did Issei _always_ know what to say? She sighed. Even with all her doubts, she couldn't deny she was excited. To have a tiny life inside you, well...it was a unique feeling, that was for sure.

Issei put his hand on her stomach. Raynare watched him carefully, wondering what he'd do.

"Hey there, little guy. Or girl, I guess. Mommy and Daddy are really excited to meet you." Issei said, talking to Raynare's abdomen like it was the most normal thing in the world and the 'baby' wasn't still just a dividing mass of cells. Nevertheless, it was touching, and in that moment, Raynare knew Issei was going to be an amazing dad.

A knock at the door surprised both of them. They both stood up in a flash, and had just long enough to exchange a glance before the door flew open and smashed against the wall behind it. Koneko walked in with a blindfold on. Rias followed after her, but her eyes were uncovered.

"Rias? What's going on?" Issei asked, confused. She'd told them all not to make a mess, and Koneko had just blasted a door off the hinges.

"Issei, have you not noticed? You're practically bursting with power!" Rias exclaimed, looking excited. "I thought you might have been in danger, you're giving off so much energy!"

Koneko peeked out from under her blindfold. "So, they aren't doing the nasty?" She asked, deadpan.

"What? I don't feel anything." Issei said, looking at his hands. Nothing felt different, but with the whirlwind of emotions he just went through, that didn't surprise him.

Raynare wiped her face, not letting Rias see, and then inspected Issei. The King was right. Raw, untapped power was rolling off Issei in waves.

 **[She's right, Issei. Are you aware of the second phase of a sacred gear's life?]**

"Balance Breaker? You don't mean…" Issei asked, his eyes widening.

 **[Exactly. Once you've hit the power threshold, all it takes to bring about the Balance Breaker in any sacred gear is an influx of strong emotions, and I'd say you just had plenty of those. Your Balance Breaker is ready to explode, which is why you're giving off so much energy.]**

"So they _were_ doing the nasty." Koneko said, misinterpreting the dragon's words. She pulled her blindfold back down.

"Seriously?! I can just say the words, and I'll be in Balance Breaker?" Issei asked, excited.

 **[I wouldn't right here. Precious cargo, and all that.]**

"Oh, right. Right." Issei said, realizing a massive shockwave of power wouldn't be good for his child.

"Precious cargo? Wait a second...precious cargo? Influx of emotions? Issei, is there any particular reason you have a tear in your eye?" Rias asked, becoming suspicious. She had a sly grin on her face.

Issei hurriedly wiped his face, realizing he never had gotten that tear off.

"Is there a reason you're so happy? Does it have something to do with Raynare, and her _precious cargo?"_ Rias continued. Koneko caught on, and slowly raised her blindfold, revealing her narrowed eyes. They must have been doing the nasty a _lot_.

"Uh...yeah, Rias...I don't really know how to say it, but-" Issei started. He wasn't sure if they should tell Rias, or just hide it for now.

"Raynare's pregnant!" Rias shouted to the whole mansion, dashing out of the room.

Issei and Raynare shared a happy look, and sighed.

* * *

 **Don't forget to review, and until next time-**

 **Belial**


	19. How the tables have turned

**Alright, so this is the longest chapter His Angel has had in a while, totaling 7,011 words on Google Docs. (Oddly enough, the total went down to 6,931 after I ported it to Fanfiction, so someone give me a heads-up if a whole section of the chapter is missing.)**

 **It's a really emotional chapter, for a lot of different reasons. I hope you'll enjoy. But outside that, I'd like to say something else.**

 **His Angel has just recently hit 1,000 Followers. That's insane. Seems like almost yesterday I just published the little 2.5k word chapter 1, and now here we are. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for sticking with the story, I know it's been bad at times. But anyway.**

 **So, if any of you guys/gals are an artist, I'd love to have a nice fanart to put as this story's picture, instead of the lame one from the anime I have at the moment. I can't pay you, cus I'm on a college student's budget (which is to say I have a negative balance in my bank account) but if you're a big fan, I'd really appreciate it.**

 **Last thing. A couple of people helped me proofread/edit/brainstorm this chapter, to make it the best I could, so I'll give them a shoutout.**

 **Dragonare (he's a guest cus he's lame)**

 **LanceSennin**

 **Laserbr0**

 **Big thanks to the three of them, they came up with a lot of the pieces of this. Alright, I'll get out of your way now.**

 **I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to read and review.**

* * *

"Rias, I'm telling you, this is a bad idea. It's not happening."

"It'll be fine."

"I beg to differ."

"Then beg."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Look, Issei, it'll be fine. All you're doing is activate Balance Breaker. Ddraig even said you're ready!"

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts! Just say it! 'Balance Breaker!' See, it's easy! Come on, say it with me this time, 'Balance Breaker!'"

"I'm not gonna do it. If I have to, I'll activate it during the game. I don't want to risk being anywhere near Raynare when I let off that much power." Issei said, shaking his head.

He and Rias were standing outside, away from the mansion, with the rest of the group watching them from right next to it. Ever since Ddraig had revealed he was ready to Balance Break several days ago, Rias had stuck to him like glue, trying to get him to activate it. While he was initially excited and more than happy to evolve his Sacred Gear, his readiness quickly faded into apprehension once he realized he could potentially harm his unborn child just by being _in the same area_ as Raynare when it happened.

"Then let's go somewhere else! Issei, please!"

"Why are you so adamant? It's not that big of a deal." Issei was starting to get tired of the King's constant pestering, and he'd told her more than a handful of time he wouldn't be using Balance Breaker until during or after the Rating Game. It didn't stop her from trying.

"Because I _need_ to win this game, Issei." Rias was also starting to get mad; she wasn't used to being refused, and she'd rarely had to argue for anything. To be completely disregarded, and on something so important, was both unknown and annoying. The only time anyone had ever disagreed with her was when the engagement to Riser was first set up, so to have Issei completely ignore her wish was driving the King up a wall.

"I get that, but I think we'll be fine. Matsuda and I both have Longinus gears. We've got a whole team of semi-powerful members, minus Asia."

"Riser has fifteen; we have eight. Sorry, we have _seven_. Because you _insist_ on Raynare not being in the game."

"Uh, _no_ _shit_." Issei tossed out a casual curse, surprising Raynare, who was watching from the sidelines. She agreed with him, of course, but she would rather just dismiss the angry redhead entirely than have this constant verbal fight. "Why would I ever let the mother of my unborn child play in a gladiatorial deathmatch? I get that you don't want to marry Riser, but there's more going on here than just that. Not to mention, it's not like I'm gonna lose access to Balance Breaker by not using it now. I'll just activate it during the game. I'll even do it right at the start, if that's what your Highness would prefer."

The rest of the peerage rolled their eyes. They'd heard a million and one variations of this same argument for the past four days now, and they'd all stopping caring. The moment Issei had said Raynare wouldn't be participating, he and Rias had been at it, back and forth, nonstop. Nobody really disagreed with him, because of course he'd value his own flesh and blood child more than Rias' feud with the Phenex, but for some reason Rias felt the need to argue it anyway.

"You-...Alright, fine. Whatever. Let's have a spar." Rias said, rubbing her temples and trying to alleviate her headache.

Issei looked around, surprised. No one else seemed to be coming over. He'd never sparred against or even trained with Rias, as she was a purely magic fighter and he was the opposite. "You and me?"

"No, that wouldn't be much of a fight." Rias said, looking at the other group.

"Who, then?"

"Hmm...you've fought Kiba and Koneko, and something tells me Asia or Akeno wouldn't be great sparring partners for you. Something _else_ tells me you wouldn't spar against Raynare…"

"Not on your life."

"Then, Matsuda? You guys haven't fought yet, right?"

Issei almost laughed out loud. They'd fought a couple more times than he'd care to remember. "We've definitely had a couple of...disagreements." Issei said, his voice low.

"What's the matter, scaly? Afraid I'll kick your ass?" Matsuda said, standing up with a grin on his face. He walked over to the two of them, looking at Rias.

"Yeah, I can't see this going bad." Kiba remarked, now at full attention. Raynare, too, had her eyes peeled. She might be on speaking terms with Matsuda, but that didn't mean she forgave him or trusted him. She and the rest of the peerage watched with bated breath from their places by the mansion.

Issei didn't say anything in reply, he just keenly watched Matsuda with a growing frown.

"Yes, I think this'll be a good way to measure your progress, both of you. Issei is a newly dragon-enhanced human, and Matsuda, you're a reincarnated devil with an athletic background. The two of you should be on relatively even terms, without introducing your sacred gears. Why don't you have a purely physical training match?" Rias suggested, walking a few feet away to referee.

"I'm game. Ready to re-live the good ol' days, buddy?" Matsuda said, smirking and pulling himself into a offensive stance. While he might have thought the remark was all in good fun, it only brought up bad memories for the other boy.

Issei grit his teeth and pulled his arms forward, ready to defend.

"Whenever you're ready." Rias said, nodding.

The two of them circled one other from a distance of a couple meters, each looking for an opening or opportunity. No one made a move for what seemed like several minutes.

Odd as it may seem, Issei had the physical advantage. His Draconian physiology granted him far superior natural strength to Matsuda's, the latter being only a newly reincarnated Low-Class devil. That being said, Matsuda held a significant edge in skill, having taken a couple years of martial arts before being reincarnated. They were almost evenly matched. But, Matsuda had one more ace up his sleeve, and he didn't even know it.

Deep down, in the back of Issei's mind, he was terrified.

Matsuda rushed in for a haymaker, tired of waiting. Issei's eyes widened, and in an instant, all the memories of being under his bully's heel came rushing back. He dropped his practiced guard and feebly attempted to block his face with his hands, fear flooding his psyche. Matsuda didn't stop, and his fist hit Issei's temple with force enough to break a normal human's bones, sending him reeling backwards.

Matsuda continued forward, his hands raised and ready for another attack

Issei had lost almost all sense of rational thought. He acted cordial with Matsuda, and they were forming a tentative relationship, but he'd never once forgotten what it was like to be dominated, no matter how hard he tried. When he saw Matsuda rushing forward, all of a sudden it was like he was back at his old school, completely powerless, being pushed around in the courtyard for everyone to see.

In that instant, when Matsuda's fist met his face, Issei was back to being helpless and alone. Ddraig, Raynare, everyone and everything and all of it, gone; nothing left but the fear of pain.

Matsuda closed the gap and grabbed Issei by the collar, pulling him into another swift punch. Issei stumbled backwards and fell on his rear, weakly attempting to scoot himself away.

The sheer cowardice of it infuriated his opponent. Matsuda looked down on Issei with utter contempt.

"You never could take a punch, could you _?_ Sure you don't wanna bark again, for old times sake?" Matsuda said, approaching the terrified boy with a sneer.

Raynare flared her black wings, fully prepared to defend Issei and kill Matsuda, but an outstretched hand in front of her made the angel stop.

"Wait a second." Kiba said, lowering his arm. "Issei's not done yet."

Matsuda knelt down beside Issei, who refused to look him in the eyes. The Dragon of Domination lay on the ground, knees drawn back, hands in front of his face, whimpering. Matsuda grabbed his collar again, and went to pull Issei to his feet, but a voice stopped him.

 **[We are the Red Dragon of Domination, and if my partner is too afraid to stand up for himself, than I will! You'll disgrace us no longer, worm!]** The Dragon within Issei's gauntlet roared with pure fury, and Issei's eyes turned bright crimson. Overwhelming power radiated from the fallen boy, and within a blink of an eye he was back on his feet, looking down at Matsuda.

Issei's Gauntlet formed on his hand, but it was wicked and twisted, seemingly formed of flesh and scale rather than metal.

" **BOOST!"**

Matsuda didn't even have time to react before Issei grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.

" **JET!"**

Issei shot into the woods opposite the mansion faster than sound, carrying Matsuda by the neck. The shockwave from breaking the sound barrier shattered all the windows on the side of the mansion everyone had gathered under, and Akeno put up a barrier just in time to stop them all from being lacerated by falling glass.

Within seconds, the two boys were miles away.

Raynare flew into the woods after them, as fast as she could go.

* * *

Matsuda was thrown into a clearing with enough force to shatter his spine, but his Sacred Gear, the Canis Lykaon, protected him, taking the form of a Wolf and dampening his impact with it's own body.

Issei landed soon after, the ground rumbling on contact. The light and color faded from his eyes, and he fell to one knee. Looking at his dragon-flesh arm, he had confusion written all over his face.

Matsuda rolled over onto his hands and knees, trying to pick himself up. The Canis Lykaon bared it's teeth at Issei, growling ferociously.

"You're...so... _pathetic_!" Matsuda spat, raising himself up to his knees.

Issei narrowed his eyes at the boy, his fear forgotten and replaced with anger. Even in overwhelming defeat, he dripped with hate.

"Seems to me like you're the one on the ground." Issei replied, standing up. He flexed the clawed fingers on his left hand, making sure it was usable.

"Not because of you...you couldn't do a thing but _watch!_ You did _nothing_ while I made you into a punching bag!"

Issei ground his teeth. He attempted to silently Boost himself, but received only a mental block in place of extra power.

' _Ddraig? What's happening? Why can't I boost?'_

 **[You've soiled the name of the Red Dragon. Until you conquer your fear and defeat him yourself, you'll get no help from me. Consider yourself grounded.]** After his last word, Ddraig's connection was blocked, and Issei felt the Dragon retreat into a dark corner of his mind.

"Just then, if your dragon hadn't been there to save you, I'd have knocked your ass out without so much as a slap from you!" Matsuda yelled, standing up.

Issei struggled to find words to say back, but he knew Matsuda was right. Fury boiled inside him, rage directed at both himself and the bully.

"You never changed. You were never sorry." Issei said in a low voice, grinding his teeth.

"You're goddamn right. Without that gauntlet, you'd be _nothing_. What am I supposed to be sorry about, that you can't stand up for yourself? _Weakling_." Matsuda said, and spat on the ground.

"Shut up."

"Or what? Gonna go get your girlfriend? How about you Boost again? Why don't you fuckin' make me, Hyoudou?" Matsuda said, walking forward. His dog disappeared, and started flowing onto his hands.

"I said shut up!" Issei roared, lunging forward. He threw a wild right hook at Matsuda, who dodged and followed up with a left jeb in Issei's abdomen, assisted by his newly-formed black knuckles.

"You're _nothing!_ You've always been _nothing_!" Matsuda said, kicking him away.

"And I'm still better than you!" Issei replied, rushing at him again with his Dragon hand raised for an attack.

"Of course you are. Of _course_ you are! You rich asshats always look down at me! You're not better than me, Hyoudou! You're not!" Matsuda yelled, sounding oddly desperate. He deflected Issei's Draconic punch, grabbed him by the collar, and threw him into a tree at the edge of the clearing.

Issei hit the tree with a massive crack, though he couldn't tell if it was his back or the wood, and frankly, he was too mad to care. He stood up again, just in time to see Matsuda hit him with two quick jabs in the face and then roundhouse him back into the tree.

"You spent your whole life up there in that cushy house, wiping your ass with money! No wonder you can't take a little pain, you don't know what it feels like!" Matsuda roared, flinging Issei across the clearing.

Issei hit the dirt and rolled on his side, using his momentum as an advantage to get back on his feet. His face was bloody, and he was covered in dirt and grass, but he stood straight, with his fists raised. There wasn't a glimmer of fear anywhere on him.

"I don't know pain, huh? I've never felt it? Is that what you think?!" Issei screamed out. This time, Matsuda rushed him, and Issei used his own moves against him. He grabbed both of Matsuda's hands, pulled him forward and knocking him off balance, then kicked Matsuda square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

"My life was nothing _but_ pain, for years! You think just because your daddy hit you, you have an excuse to do whatever you want? Get real! You use your past as an excuse to hurt people because you're just an angry little brat, mad at the world and everyone in it!" Issei said, fury raging in his eyes.

Matsuda staggered backwards, coming to a standstill. He and Issei glared at each other from across the clearing, both of them dripping blood and exhausted.

"You have no _idea_ what it's like. Not knowing when your next meal is coming, living on the street, always worried that your dad will come back to kill you and finish the job. You don't know what pain is. You've never had to struggle in your life." Matsuda said, unmoving. Blood dripped from his nose and right ear, his breathing was labored, and at least one of his ribs was broken, but he kept his fists raised.

"I've been close friends with pain since the day my parents died. You're right, I never struggled for money. I had different problems, but they were just as real. We all struggle. We're all human. Where you messed up, is when you took out your anger on the people around you." Issei said with a steady voice, ready to defend himself. Blood leaked from his mouth, and his right eye was bloody and swollen.

"You think I wanted to? You think I like seeing people look at me with hate and fear in their eyes?! I hated it! I hated you! And, more than anything, I hate myself! Every morning, I looked in the mirror and said I'd apologize and do better, that I'd stop hurting people, and I never could! I always saw you, sitting pretty with plenty of money and not a care in the world, and I couldn't stand it! And now, you live in a penthouse apartment with your dream girl and a kid on the way, and here I am, alone and with nothing! I _died,_ man! Your friend fucking killed me, without even a goddamn reason! I don't have anything, or anyone...I don't even have a soul, anymore."

Matsuda dropped to the ground, all the fight leaving his body. He sat on the dirt, his head hung low, legs drawn up, and draped his arms over his knees. His black knuckles disappeared, taking the shape of a fuzzy puppy, who crawled up on his stomach.

"All I wanted was to stop hurting people...and now, I'm a goddamn demon with a magic dog that does nothing but cause pain. There's nothing left for me _but_ hurting others. I don't want this. I never wanted this. All I...I just...I miss my mom, man..." Matsuda choked out, his voice cracking. "And now look at me. Here I am, crying in front of someone I was just ripping apart. Ha, what a piece of shit." Tears slowly dripped out of his eyes.

Issei said nothing. His brain had slowed to a crawl. At first, he'd thought the boy was lying. Matsuda, not wanting to hurt people? Not possible. He'd literally _just_ got through calling Issei pathetic.

But, as he kept talking, Issei could see he was sincere, and what's worse, he understood. Not having anyone in the world is the most awful thing that can happen to someone, and Issei personally knew that. Not to mention, being too poor to afford food or a place to stay, and having to worry about his own father killing him.

For the first time in his life, he felt genuine pity for Matsuda.

Matsuda looked up from the ground at Issei, who hadn't said a word.

The fallen boy shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

"Tell Rias you killed me on accident, or I wouldn't stop and I forced you to kill me, or something like that. Go home. Marry Raynare, raise your kid, raise 'em _right_ , and have a good life. It's not too late for you, yet. I'm just gonna...sit here, for a bit." Matsuda said, wiping his face. He took the puppy in his hands, and it whimpered.

" _I know, I know, but just do me this last favor, okay?"_ Matsuda said quietly, talking to the puppy. He lifted it to his face, and it licked his cheek and under his eyes, wiping away some tears.

Matsuda lowered the puppy back down, and it whimpered one last time before taking the form of his vicious black sword.

Issei had a choice.

Could he leave, and let his former bully take his own life?

Yes.

And it was tempting, too. He almost did. Issei almost turned away, and let Matsuda end himself.

But he couldn't.

No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't sit by and let it happen.

Raynare had given Issei a chance to live. Lisa Lisa had given him a chance to restart. Azazel had given him a chance to save Kalawarner, and to hear from his mother again.

All these people, all thinking of him and not themselves, all giving him a chance.

What kind of man would Issei be if he didn't do the same?

"Matsuda, stop." Issei said firmly, making his choice.

"What? Why? Why should I? There's nothing left for me but being a monster. There's nothing here but pain." Matsuda said, holding the sword so tight his knuckles turned white.

"You're wrong. You've got plenty left, and you have people there for you. You just don't see it." Issei said, shaking his head.

"How the hell would you know?" Matsuda asked, his grip tightening even more.

Issei walked over to where Matsuda was and sat down behind him, back-to-back.

"Because I've been where you are. It seems like forever ago, almost. The day after I met Raynare, I was going to kill myself. I had nothing and nobody, and I didn't see an out. I was going to take the sword off our mantle and gut myself, right there on the floor." Issei said solemnly.

Matsuda didn't say anything in reply, he just stared at the blade in his hand and listened.

"But then, Raynare showed me there was more to live for than just myself. I fell in love, I really did. I fell hard, and all my problems faded into the background."

"Oh gee, I'm happy for you-"

"No, let me finish. You think that no one cares about you, and they'd be better off with you dead."

"Am I wrong?"

"So wrong it hurts."

Issei could sense the confusion and disbelief in Matsuda, without even facing him. So, he kept going.

"That night Rias tried to sleep with you, do you know why she did it? It wasn't just because she needed out of the marriage, even though that was a big part of it. She chose you because she trusted you, and cares about you."

"And I pushed her away. I wouldn't let her."

"She doesn't care about that. The first thing Rias told Raynare when she asked about it, was how sorry she was that she upset you."

Was he stretching the truth a bit? Absolutely, but what he was saying was true.

"...Really?"

"Yeah, really. And, not only her. What about Asia? You saved her life, and I'm positive she cares for you. Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko, even if she doesn't show it. They all care about you. If you can't take living for yourself any longer, then live for them." Issei said. He stood up, and walked around in front of Matsuda.

Issei reached out his hand.

Matsuda looked up at him, then looked down at his sword, still unsure.

"And...I forgive you." Issei said, looking Matsuda in the eyes. The other boy's mouth slowly opened and closed, like he didn't know what to say. Issei kept waiting, with his hand outstretched.

"...Thank you." Matsuda said, finally. He laid his sword down on the ground, and took Issei's hand. He pulled himself up and went to let go, but Issei kept a firm grip. He looked Matsuda in the eyes.

"Even if you decide they'd be better off without you, stick around for me. I'll need someone to fight with every now and then, blow off steam, you know." Issei said, smiling. He let go, and pat Matsuda on the shoulder. The boy copied his smile, and shook his head.

"You know, that day, when you kicked my ass and threw me into a tree...I swore I'd kill you. I did. I swore on everything I had that I'd end your life." Matsuda said, serious.

"Well, hey. You said it yourself; you have nothing. So, swearing on everything doesn't really count. I'd say you're good." Issei said, nodding.

Matsuda laughed and shook his head. "You're a candle." The boy blurted out, realizing he'd said it out loud just a moment too late.

Issei looked confused. "A candle?"

"Ah...yeah. Something my mom used to say, don't worry about it. It's not bad." Matsuda assured, shaking his hands.

"Alright...thanks, then. We should head back. I'm sure they're worried about us." Issei said, looking around. He suddenly realized he didn't know where 'back' was.

"Weren't you paying attention when you brought us here?"

"Uh, I didn't bring us here. Ddraig did."

"Oh. Well, we could fly back."

"I'm way too weak to fly."

"That makes two of us."

"Guess we should start walking, then."

"Guess so."

The two of them started walking out of the center of the clearing, walking in a random direction. They hadn't taken more than a few steps, when Matsuda stopped, and turned to Issei.

"What is it?" Issei asked, hoping he wasn't still thinking of killing himself.

"Just...uh...thanks, I guess. I'll make it up to you, some day. I swear it." Matsuda said, holding his fist over his heart. Issei clasped him on the shoulder, and the two stood close to each other.

From a distance, it looked like they were at each other's throats.

"I appreciate-" " _Get away from him!"_ "-it. No, Raynare! Move!"

Matsuda had only a second to be confused about Issei's words before the boy violently shoved him.

"Oh man, what the...hell?" Matsuda asked, stumbling forward. He turned around.

And there was Issei...

...with a light spear in his chest.

"NO!"

Matsuda looked up at the sky and saw Raynare yell, before rocketing towards the ground. She flared her wings just before she made impact, then ran to Issei, who fell forward in her arms. She dispersed the spear as fast as she could, but the damage was done. Issei had a gaping hole in his torso.

Raynare had saw the two boys together, and in her defense, it absolutely looked like they were killing each other. She'd thrown a spear at Matsuda, trying to defend Issei, but of course, Issei pushed him out of the way. She could barely keep herself together.

Issei barely registered what happened, and he didn't feel any pain. All he felt was Raynare's embrace. He fell to the ground, and she fell with him. He looked up at the sky, and saw her worried face looking down at him.

"When I said...your light has a special place...in my heart...I didn't mean...literally…" Issei said, laughing. He coughed up blood, taking care not to cough on her.

"No~...Issei, please, stay with me, please! Oh God, I'm so sorry, Issei!" Raynare screamed, sobbing.

Matsuda didn't know what to do. Raynare had obviously been aiming for him; she must've thought they were still fighting. But, why would Issei take the spear for him? He had so much to live for…

Matsuda fell to his knees, watching. He could do nothing, but watch. Unless…

No. He could do something; he had to. He wouldn't let Issei die, only having hurt him. He'd do something good, even if it took everything he had.

"H-hey...don't cry...stop all that...nonsense. You...saved my life, a long time ago...it was yours to take...whenever you wanted it." Issei murmured, stroking Raynare's hair.

"But I don't want to take it! I didn't mean to...Please, Issei, don't...don't leave me here alone...please, Issei!" Raynare buried her head in Issei's chest frantically sobbing.

"I...don't plan on it. But, just...in case. Let me tell you something…" Issei said. He cupped her cheek, and made her look him in the eyes.

"This has been...the greatest time of my life...being with you. You made it worth living...and I love you...God, I love you...so, so much. So much I can barely stand it. And, I'll never...leave you...I'm always...right here." Issei pointed at her necklace, the one he'd given her all that time ago.

"And...don't forget...a part of me is with you...right here." Issei said, pointing to her belly, where their child grew.

Raynare put her hand over her mouth and choked back sobs. Tears poured from her eyes like a faucet, and she could barely think straight.

"Issei, please. Don't you go! Don't you dare! I won't forgive you if you die! You _have_ to live! You have to stay...with me…"

"Raynare...my angel. I love you." Issei said.

He stopped breathing, and fell limp in her arms.

"No...no, no, no, no no no NO!"

Raynare screamed, louder than she ever had before. Her heart tore itself in half. Not only was the love of her life, her heart and soul, gone, but _she_ had been the one to kill him.

Raynare sat there, sobbing into his chest, not registering anything going on with the world outside her, so she never noticed Matsuda approach.

Matsuda had gone to retrieve his Sacred Gear. He didn't know what the extent of his power was, as he'd only ever used it as a weapon before, but he had to try. Matsuda nodded to the sword, issuing it a mental command. and it turned into a puddle of goo in his fist. He knelt beside Issei, not hesitating for a second, and dumped the goo into his chest wound.

Raynare finally realized what was happening, and she snarled with pure hatred. She brutally slapped Matsuda away, sending him into a tree with enough power to kill him.

"What did you do?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She screamed, looking at the black liquid swirling around in Issei's chest.

Matsuda, from the ground, weakly raised his head. "I stopped the bleeding and...restarted his pulse. Take him to Asia...she might still be able to save him." With that, he passed out, his head hitting the dirt.

Raynare looked back and forth between the two boys. Without a word, she picked up Issei and flew back towards the mansion.

* * *

Issei opened his eyes all at once, immediately conscious. He sat up, looking at his body. He was clothed in a white robe, softer than silk; a quick look under it revealed more than he needed to see.

The whole in his chest was pulsing and red, and it was filled with some nasty black slime. Issei went to touch it, to see what in the world it was, but his finger passed through like it wasn't even there. On his left hand, the dragonflesh was gone, replaced by his own arm.

"Oh...so that's how it is." Issei said to nobody in particular, laying back down.

"That's how what is?" Said a familiar voice.

Issei nearly jumped out of his bed. On his right, was Lisa Lisa, sitting in a doctor's chair.

"Oh, it's just you. I guess I'm dead, then?" Issei asked, cutting right to the chase. He looked around, and saw that they were in an all-white hospital room, with the walls, ceiling, and floor made out of pristine marble.

"Not quite, but almost. We'll get to that in a minute. I want to ask you a few questions." Lisa Lisa said, talking without her trademark speed or cheer. She was slow, solemn, and serious.

"Looks like I've got nothing to do but answer. Whenever you're ready, I guess." Issei said, laying back down on the bed.

"Why did you take the spear for Matsuda?" Lisa Lisa asked, straightforward.

"That, huh? I don't really know, to be honest with you. I saw it coming, and I just couldn't let him die. Maybe I could've dodged, or maybe I could've deflected it, but then there was no guarantee that he wouldn't have been hit, and light is poisonous to Devils, so I couldn't let that happen." Issei explained.

"He would've died, yes, I get that. But that's not what I'm asking. You could've let him die; and you'd be with Raynare, and your child. Instead, you gave your life for a devil, and one you personally hated for quite some time. I'll ask again. Why did you take the spear for him?"

Issei looked down at his chest. The hole was still there. He looked back up at Lisa Lisa.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Raynare gave me mine, and I got to feel happiness. Devil or bully or whatever, I figured the least I could do was make sure Matsuda gets his." Issei said, looking her in the eyes.

"Hmm...I see." Lisa Lisa scribbled something on a notepad. "And, what about Raynare? Do you blame her? You do know she was trying to kill him, right?"

"I do know that, yes, but I don't blame her at all. Absolutely not. She's my angel. She made my life something worth living, and she's carrying my child. Even if it was in her own misguided way, she was trying to protect me; I can't fault her for that. Even if she hadn't been, and she really was trying to kill me, I would've let it happen and not held it against her. She's the one who saved me in the first place. It's the least I owe her. If anything, I'm the one that should be guilty. I left her all alone to raise our child."

Lisa Lisa scribbled something else on her notepad, then looked back up at him. There wasn't a single trace of her normal smile.

"One final question, dearest. Please answer honestly."

"Sure."

"Do you want to die?"

Issei inhaled slowly. He exhaled. He looked down at himself. He clenched his fingers. He touched his face. He touched his lips. He closed his eyes.

"...No."

All he could think about was one person.

"No, I don't."

Raynare.

"I want to go back."

His Angel.

"I want to see Raynare."

She saved his life.

"I want to hold her close and tell her that it wasn't her fault, and that I don't blame her."

She was his reason for living.

"I want to be there when she has our child."

She was the sunshine in his world of darkness.

"I want to be at the altar when she walks down it."

She was his everything.

"I want to grow old with her, no matter how long it takes."

He couldn't stand to be apart from her.

"So, no. I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to live, and I want to see Raynare again. I want to hold her hand. I want to touch her cheek. I want to kiss her. I want to sleep beside her and hear her heartbeat."

Nothing could ever take away his feelings for her, not even death.

"I want Raynare."

Lisa Lisa started to write something, then stopped and put down the notepad. She looked Issei in the eyes, her kind smile back in full force.

"Dear, you've made me the third happiest woman in the universe. I'm so glad those were your answers."

"Third?"

"Third."

"Who's first and second?"

"Well, first is Raynare, once I send you back there in a moment, and second is her." Lisa Lisa said with a grin, then pointed to the other side of Issei's bed.

"Send me back…? Wait, who's 'her'?" He looked over to where Lisa Lisa pointed, not realizing anyone else had been in the room with them, or even that there _was_ another side of the room.

"Hi, baby."

Issei's eyes went wide. His jaw dropped, and his heart jumped into his throat.

"Mom?"

"Mhmm. It's good to see you, Issei. I've missed you so much." Doctor Elsa Hyoudou said, standing from her chair beside his bed. She was dressed in a flowing white gown, and had upon her back two glowing golden wings.

Elsa stood beside his bed, and he nearly lept out of it, hugging her with everything he had. Elsa laughed, and hugged him back.

"I'm sure you want to hurry and get back, so I'll keep this quick. Issei, I'm so proud of the person you've become. 'Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'"

"Mom, I...I miss you."

"I know baby, I know. I miss you too. But, it's not your moment yet. We'll meet again when the time is right, count on it. For now, you have to go back."

"I...I...I love you, mom. I never got to say it, but I do."

"You didn't have to. I knew. I always knew. Goodbye, Issei."

Elsa pulled away from Issei as he started to shimmer, before he disappeared entirely. Elsa sighed, and sat down on the bed he'd been in.

"Are you okay, darling?" Lisa Lisa asked her, worried.

Elsa smiled. "I'm fine. What greater joy is there for a mother, than to have raised such an amazing son?" A tear fell from her eye, despite the words she said.

Lisa Lisa stood up and walked over to her, wrapping the younger woman in a hug.

"Oh, dear, I know. I know exactly how you feel. I'm proud of him too. If it makes you feel any better, that boy is one-in-a-million. He's going to do great things, just watch."

"I know. I know he is. He and Raynare...my baby boy and his angel."

Elsa broke down in tears, clutching at the sheets he'd been lying in. She put on a brave face, but the reality was that she missed him more than he could ever know. What good mother wouldn't?

"He'll be fine, I promise. Alright, dear. Let's go get you something to eat, hm? Gabriel's made a great soup today."

* * *

Consciousness came back to Issei in waves.

The first time he felt sensation, he couldn't even open his eyes. All he could feel was the hole in his chest slowly closing up before he fell unconscious again.

The second time, he just barely lifted one eyelid. He saw flashes of several worried faces, and a flurry of doctors and nurses. There was one face that stuck out above the rest, though.

Raynare. He saw her looking down at him, with worry and fear written all over.

He fought to stay awake, so he could hold her hand and tell her everything would be alright, but one of the doctors plucked him with something, and he went back under.

The third time, he woke up all the way. He opened his eyes, and looked around. White and blue walls, all around. He was on a comfortable hospital bed, and there was a significant weight on his right arm. He tried as hard as he could, and was just barely able to tilt his head far enough to see what it was. A messy mop of silken black hair, attached to a sleeping girl. He struggled, forcing himself to turn even farther, but his neck didn't want to cooperate.

After what seemed like an eternity of pain, he was able to tilt his head to the right far enough to blow on the hair. He blew a steady stream of air into it, trying to wake it's owner up.

After a minute or two of gently puffing, the girl stirred. She slowly raised her head, a strand of her black hair stuck to her lip. She pulled the strand off her mouth, then remembered where she was.

Raynare's face was etched with worry within seconds as she looked down on Issei's body.

"...Hey...gorgeous…" Issei managed to croak, his throat dry as a desert.

Raynare's eyes widened in shock as she heard the voice, and noticed Issei's open eyes. Her heart did a backflip in her chest, and she could barely stop herself from flattening him in a hug. But, then she remembered why he was there, and her happiness made way for crushing guilt.

"Issei, I-"

"Stop...I don't want to hear it." Issei groaned, forcing a smile.

Raynare's heart plummeted. Of course he didn't want to hear it. She'd nearly killed him.

"Listen...Raynare…Rachiel. My angel."

Raynare was confused, but she listened.

"Come...closer."

She put her face nearly on his chest, as close as she could get without touching him.

"Closer."

"But, your chest-"

"Closer."

"Issei, I-"

"Do...it."

Raynare looked beside herself with worry, but she put her head on his chest, right under his head. He held up his hand, using every ounce of strength he had, and she took it in hers.

"Will you...marry me?" Issei croaked, a smile on his face.

Raynare shot backward, nearly falling over the chair she'd been sitting in. She covered her mouth with her face, and didn't dare breathe.

"I'm...serious. You almost took...my life...and the only way...I can make sure...you don't feel guilty...is to give you the rest of it."

"Issei...Issei!" Raynare couldn't hold back any longer. At first, she'd thought he was joking. Who would ever propose after nearly being killed by their significant other? But, of course, Issei would.

She practically jumped on him, pulling him into a tight hug. Issei raised one arm and hugged her back, the best he could.

"I don't have...a ring. But give me some time...and I'll get you the best one...money can buy." Issei said, his throat literally starting to bleed from how much he was talking despite it being so dry.

"Oh my God, Issei. You…yes. Yes! A million times, yes!" Raynare started laughing. She laughed, and then she cried, and then she laughed some more. Issei was right there with her, smiling the whole time.

When a nurse finally came in to see what the commotion was all about, she found the patient in bed, as expected, but with his girlfriend lying next to him.

"Mr. Hyoudou? Are you...awake?" The nurse, Sofia, asked, looking at the two of them. She would tell the girl to get off the bed, but she was a six winged Fallen Angel, and she'd nearly killed three Devils when they wouldn't let her in the room with him. Sofia wasn't eager to invite the girl's wrath, top-of-the-line Sitri Medical Facility or not.

"...Shhh. She's...asleep." The patient replied, opening his eyes.

Sofia looked extremely confused. The patient was apparently more concerned for his girlfriend's wellbeing than his own, despite the fact that he had been more dead than alive not a few hours ago.

Sofia approached Issei's side of the bed, as quiet as possible.

"Do you need anything, Mr. Hyoudou?" Sofia asked, whispering.

"Water." Issei replied. His throat was on _fire_. He knew better than to talk so much earlier, but he couldn't help it.

"Sure thing." Sofia said, quickly leaving the room.

Raynare cracked a eye after she heard the door close. "Is she gone?" She whispered into Issei's ear.

"Mhmm."

Raynare giggled. She wrapped her arms around Issei's neck, and pulled him even closer to her.

 _Married._

They were going to be married, and have a child. If you'd have told Raynare a year ago that she'd be a wife and mother, she would've either laughed, or killed you.

"Oh, hey. Issei."

"Hm?"

"You missed the Rating game."

"What? Did...we win?"

"Nope."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

"So, Rias has to...marry that douche?"

"Nope."

"I don't understand."

"Riser won with a really dirty tactic, so Matsuda challenged him to a one-on-one after the game, and Riser lost. So, Rias is free."

Issei sighed. "That's great."

There was a silence, and Issei nuzzled his cheek against Raynare's.

"Raynare?"

"I'm here."

"I had...a dream."

"What was it about?"

"I was...in Heaven."

"And then?"

"I can't remember...much, but...I remember, the one thing...I thought about...was you. I missed you, more than anything. I love you."

Raynare pulled herself closer to him. If there was any less space between then, he'd be wearing her.

"I love you too, Issei."

* * *

 _"The best people are like candles; they burn themselves to give others light."_

* * *

I **freakin love this chapter. I hope you love it too, cus that'll be all I publish for a bit. I'm in for a really busy December, so I guess I'll write when possible, but don't count on it. If you have any questions about this chapter or any before it, just PM me.**

 **Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review.**


	20. Risen Angels

**Okay, so, before I get into any boring stuff, EVERYONE READ THIS: Big shoutout to GotMegaMilk for drawing some stellar fanart for this story. You can find their links on my profile, and their twitter** **is (at symbol)MegaxMilk, or just google GotMegaMilk, whatever you gotta do. Go check those links out right now, or I kill Raynare and the baby.**

 **...**

 **Just kidding...**

 **...Maybe.**

 **Putting that aside, I'll give a brief(definitely not brief) explanation(excuse) on why my updating has ground to a halt. I mean, it was never fast to begin with, but now it's super duper slow, and here's why: I have just started my second semester of college after a ridiculously busy Christmas break, so that's where like a strong 75% of my time is at right now. The other 20% is in a huge super-secret hush-hush project (PM me if you're super interested, I guess) that I'm working on; more information on that as it progresses, right now we're at about 1/5 completion. For those of you math dorks out there (burn in hell, number-witches) who are wondering where the rest of the 5% is at, I've compiled this helpful list:**

 **Sleep.  
**

 **And that's about it!...As far as time, anyway. Now, big important message. I'll repeat that, for those in the back.**

 **BIG IMPORTANT MESSAGE!**

 **Okay, I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible. (editor's note: it is not short.) Writing His Angel over the last 8 or 9 months has been a total joy. Reading everyone's reviews is always the highlight of my day, and I can't thank you all enough for the support.**

 **That said, and there's really no way to put his nicely: I'm really not feeling it anymore. Not the feedback, that's still great, (love you guys) but my drive to write Fanfiction has been slowly slipping, combined with the changes to my schedule and dwindling (by some sources) quality of the latest chapters, and I'm in a tough spot.**

 **On the one hand, I really want to finish this, cus everyone wants the babeh, and on the other...I kinda don't, and I kinda can't, not with the time I have right now, not with the quality you guys deserve. So, this is where the important part comes in. We've got two options here.**

 **1: I greatly rush the next few chapters, and they'll come in a series of timeskips, each showing a pivotal part of the relationship between Issei and Raynare and turning the story into essentially a collection of interlocked fluffy and cute one-shots, which would bring us the babeh in probably one or two more chapters that I could have done within a few weeks. I would try to keep the quality up; but, obviously, with this system there would be a lot cut out and several subplots would just be forgotten. The thing with Vali, what the ring and dagger were for, the journal his mom left him...that kinda stuff. That's the first option, and the one I am more inclined to do.**

 **2: I don't write. I do not have time to produce quality, full length chapters. I won't have time until Summer, but then quality and length of the chapters will be what you've come to expect, whatever that may be. I personally don't like this choice, because I would hate to leave you all waiting. Even rushed ending is still an ending, right?**

 **Whichever option I go with, His Angel is winding to a close. The endgame was always that Raynare would get pregnant, and while I may have rushed it in the beginning (a** _lot_ **) it's still here, and that's where we're at.** **I want to finish this story. I would tear myself to pieces if I knew I got all your expectations up and then just crushed them by not concluding His Angel. We've gone on too long to quit now, and some of you have been too reliable to let down. Looking at you, Curse of Whimsey. I always count on your quick reviews to give me a smile (:**

 **Anyway, put what you want in the reviews or PM me, either way. Protip: something that would really boost my morale to keep writing this is tell me what you like. Tell me what's made you cry, or smile, or laugh. If it's something you can't/don't want to put in a review, PM me. Knowing I've had a genuine emotional impact on my readers, it's just...I feels like I've succeeded in some small way, you know? You don't have to, and it might not change anything, but I'm just putting it out there. I am very easily swayed by nice words...mostly.**

 **Well, I think I've rambled enough. Honestly, this is far too short a chapter to talk this much in just the author's note, but hey...can't win them all. I've actually had this done for a while, but I wanted to expand it (cus it's short) and just can't find the time. Rather than letting it rot in my documents, here it is. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Sofia, the nurse attending to Issei, walked into his hospital room, holding the door open behind her. "You have visitors, Mister Hyoudou."

Issei looked up from the book he'd was reading, ' _What to expect when your Angel wife is expecting',_ and set it down on his lap. In the door, behind Sofia, walked Sona Sitri and her Queen, Tsubaki Shinra. Sofia left after they'd entered, and Tsubaki stood by the door.

"Sona! What are you doing here?" Issei asked. He was on better terms with Sona than Rias, enough to call her a good friend.

"This is my hospital." Sona said matter-of-factly, walking to his side.

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting I'm not in the human world."

"It's an easy mistake. Anyway, I came to check on you. Rias is a tad bit angry, but her peerage is concerned for you. Especially Matsuda, oddly enough. What's that about, I thought you hated him?"

"We talked things out. Simple as that, I guess." Issei replied, rubbing his temple.

"That's not what Rias called it."

"Rias doesn't...wait, Rias is angry? What for?" Issei asked, Sona's words just catching up with him.

Sona pursed her lips. "Well, look at this from her perspective. She assisted you on the grounds that she'd have your aid to count on when the time came, and neither you or Raynare helped in the Rating Game like you said you would, which almost cost her her freedom and chastity. Not to mention, you weren't able to participate because of a misunderstanding turned lethal, and her Pawn was also quite injured. She's... aggravated. Don't misunderstand, she's still concerned about your wellbeing, she's just upset."

Issei looked guilty. "I...wow. Now I feel like a jerk. I didn't even think about it like that. I'll make it up to her, somehow...probably." Issei said, muttering the last word. He still, even after everything that had happened, wasn't entirely sure he liked Rias all that much. Not because of anything she'd done, they were way past that, he just found her personality...grating. That being said, he wasn't above doing something for her to make up for his failure.

Sona shook her head. "Don't worry about that right now. At the moment, you need to focus solely on healing up. You're lucky you weren't a devil, you know. That amount of concentrated light in the middle of your chest? Nothing in Heaven or Hell could've saved you. But, I suppose that's exactly why you didn't let Matsuda get hit, isn't it?" Sona asked, a soft smile on her face.

"Caught me. It's not like I could just let him die...or something like that." Issei answered, shrugging.

"You're a really kind person, aren't you?" Sona asked, still smiling. She wasn't looking directly at him, and almost seemed to be talking to herself. Issei gave her an odd look. He wasn't great at communicating with anyone who wasn't Raynare, and he didn't have a ton of experience when it came to social cues, but what she'd just said seemed a little off-base. Not only that, it was totally out of character for the straight-laced and serious Student Council President.

"I mean...I guess. I don't really think so." Issei answered, trying not to make it awkward.

Sona's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before her smile disappeared, replaced by her usual stoicism. She cleared her throat and had an almost unnoticeable blush on her cheeks. She hadn't realized she spoke out loud.

"S-so, how are you doing? Are they taking care of you?" Sona asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. Issei didn't notice how she stuttered or that she wasn't looking him in the eyes.

"Oh yeah, this place is great. My chest is almost completely healed, minus a nasty scar. They tell me that'll never go away, but Raynare says it looks cool, so I guess it's fine with me."

"Speaking of which, where is Raynare? The staff told me they couldn't even _almost_ get her to leave."

"She's been here for the whole time I've been here, so I told her to go home and get some real rest. They tell me I'll be out within a day, so she shouldn't be by herself for long."

"She was completely hysteric when Rias called me. She didn't leave your side or stop sobbing until Asia had closed most of your wound and you were on the way here, so I've been told."

"Ah, right. Nobody's really told me what happened, after the accident. Could you…?"

"Of course. After Raynare stabbed you, a majority of the right side of your heart was completely destroyed. Matsuda willed his Sacred Gear into a sort of organic slime that stopped you from instantly bleeding out, and then Raynare nearly killed him because she thought he was still trying to kill you. After he cleared that up, she rushed you to Asia, who was able to mostly reconstruct your heart and stop the major bleeding. The hospital did everything else. You've been unconscious for a grand total of five days, so I've been told. Though, you woke up sometime yesterday, so I suppose it's more like four and a half? Anyway, that's what happened."

"Wow. I need to write Asia a thank you note. Or, maybe buy her something? What would a nun-turned-devil even want…?" Issei asked, trailing off.

"She said you were one of the people who saved her from the church incident, so I think you're pretty much even."

"Still, though...oh, right. About the Rating Game. Raynare told me a bit, but what's the whole story?"

"Rias was winning at first, but because of Matsuda's fatigue from being hurt, he wasn't able to fight at his full potential. After a while, it was just Rias, Asia, Matsuda, and Riser atop the roof of a building, and Riser was able to eliminate Asia. Matsuda flew into a rage, and Riser essentially butchered him. Rias willingly resigned to stop Riser from killing him, and they lost."

"But that's not all, right?"

"Well, you'd have to ask Matsuda or Rias for all the details, but Matsuda basically challenged Riser to a match of single combat right in the middle of the engagement party. King Sirzechs thought it was a great idea, and told Matsuda if he won he could have a reward of his choosing. Matsuda claimed all he wanted was for Rias to be free of Riser, and then they fought. Matsuda gave up his eyes to his Sacred Gear so he could use his Balance Breaker, and he won. He also used a cross from Asia to inflict holy burns on Riser, which, frankly, was wildly entertaining."

"How did Matsuda hold a cross? I thought you guys were weak to that kind of stuff."

"We are, very much so. You'd have to have seen his Balance Breaker to really understand, but he basically summoned a humanoid wolf-demon to help him fight. It held the cross, not him."

"That makes sense."

"Indeed. But, enough about Matsuda. Rias told me you're expecting?"

Issei's face instantly turned deep red. Had she told everyone?

"A-ah, yeah...Raynare is...pregnant." Issei managed to sputter. It was a bit of a difficult sentence to say, because he was essentially telling Sona he and Raynare had frequent sex. In reality, Sona was a devil and that couldn't bother her less, but Issei was raised in a sheltered environment and to him it was uncomfortable to talk about.

"Congratulations. Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Well...not really, no. We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl or...twins. Oh God, _twins…_ " Issei said, eyes wide. Every time he thought of the pregnancy, he thought of something else that scared him. Sona flinched. Issei's use of the Lord's name was warranted, but still painful.

"Well, when the time comes, I'd be more than happy to let you and Raynare use this facility free of charge. Ultrasounds, Genetic tests, delivery...we can do anything here." Sona said, a small amount of pride in her voice. Her first act as Heir of the Sitri after coming to age was to put all of their cutting-edge medical technology in a facility open to the Devil populace instead of just the High Class. It was a bit costly, but she let friends and other important people use her hospital without charge.

"Wow, thanks! I'll take you up on that, I think." Issei said, grateful.

"I look forward to it." Sona replied, a small smile on her face.

Tsubaki cleared her throat, breaking the small silence that came after Sona's words. She and Issei looked to the Queen, who nodded to Sona.

Sona turned back to Issei, standing up from her seat by him. "It seems I need to leave. Do contact me if you need something, alright? I will have only the best for my patients."

"Uh, sure. Thanks for stopping by." Issei said with a small wave.

"Of course. Until next time."

With that, Sona and her Queen left the room, leaving Issei by himself. He sighed. Truth be told, the boy was mind-numbingly bored, and was almost sad he'd sent Raynare home. Sona's visit had been a welcome respite from the dullness of his hospital stay, and he wished it had lasted longer.

Resigning himself to another day of boredom, he picked up the book about supernatural pregnancy again and kept reading.

* * *

Issei was asleep with his book draped across his face when the next visitor came. Accompanied with a flash of blinding green light, Azazel himself appeared in the hospital room.

Issei shook awake, flinging the book to the floor and losing his page. He looked at the intruder with surprise and then recognition, realizing who it was.

Azazel approached Issei with a grin, stretching his hand out to Issei. They shook, and the Fallen Governor took a seat by his bed.

"You can't ever just walk through a door, can you?"

"I was going to kill Raynare, you know."

Issei's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, not expecting Azazel's response at all. The typical grin was gone from his face, and he looked Issei dead in the face with a serious expression.

"When I heard what happened, I was furious. Beyond furious, actually. I ruined one of my labs."

"You didn't. Tell me you didn't hurt her."

"No, I didn't. But I was going to. I was going to go wherever she was and show her what a real light spear looks like."

"Why?"

"She almost killed you, Issei-"

"I don't care!"

"But I do. I do care, very much, and I'm not the only one. You have to understand something, Issei. Your mother made me promise two things: That I'd keep my distance, and that I'd protect you. So, of course, you almost dying was bound to ruin my day."

"Sorry to inconvenience you."

"Don't make it like that. I haven't done anything, and I'm not going to. I just wanted you to know."

"What stopped you?"

"I heard she's pregnant. That true?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so...and that's what stopped me. There's a lot of things I'll do, but killing a child, even an embryo or fertilized egg or whatever it is right now, isn't one of them. Not to mention, you probably would've made a mess. Juggernaut Drive is...not something I'm equipped to deal with."

"What is Juggernaut Drive?"

 **[Don't worry about it.]**

"The lizard's right, let's not worry about that right now." Azazel stood up, and looked around the room. He walked to a far corner, right of the door, where a bookshelf hung on the wall. Azazel pulled a book off of it and absentmindedly flipped through it, Issei watching him the whole time.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking. They treating you alright here? How's the food? And your bed, is that cozy enough?"

"Um...I guess?" Issei replied, his head slightly tilted in confusion.

"Come with me. I've got a top notch facility in Fallen Angel territory, way better than anything they've got here."

"I'll be out by tomorrow."

"I don't just mean now."

"What do you mean? You're not making a lot of sense."

"With the kid. When Raynare is ready, bring her to me instead of here."

"You just told me you were going to kill her. You won't be seeing Raynare for a long time if I have any say in things." Issei said, reminding Azazel what he'd just said. Any threat to Raynare was not something he'd be likely to overlook, especially if the Governor General was half as angry as he said he was.

Azazel hesitated, then sighed in exasperation. "That's fair. So, when are you going to tie the knot? You can hardly have a kid without getting married, right?" Azazel was most certainly _not_ in any position to speak on something like that, given his extensive history with various women, but he was sure Issei would have a different stance on the subject.

Issei sighed. "I dunno. I need to propose, and get a ring, and then actually get married...it's all a lot coming at me. I'm still in highschool...what are my classmates going to think?"

"Who cares? There's an excellent school in Fallen Angel territory that would be perfect for you to finish up in. Not to mention, I've got pull at basically every major university out there, human and not. You can have your pick of colleges."

"Oh, man…" Issei put his head in his hands. Everything that was happening was catching up with him again, and it was becoming overwhelming. Marriage, a child, college...it was more than one teenager could handle.

"Hey, just saying...if you'd wrapped it before you tapped it, like you're supposed to, a kid wouldn't be a problem." Azazel said, winking. His grin was back in full force.

Issei smiled at first, then broke into a full on laugh. A moment later, he sighed, his stomach and chest aching from all the exertion. "Do you honestly think Raynare would've let me wrap it, even if I'd thought about it?"

"Good point. Fallen Angels can be tricky like that."

"Speaking of which...there's something important we need to talk about."

"There's a ton of things we need to be talking about. What's on your mind right now, in particular?"

"Raynare not being Fallen anymore."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I asked around about that, and I have it on a very reliable source that that's a good thing. She's the first of a 'new breed', of sorts. She was given something...special."

"What do you mean? What happened to her?"

"Nothing happened to her, not in the literal sense. Tell me what you know about Heaven."

"Oh, man...it's a place where angels and good souls live, right? Ddraig tried teaching me at one point, but it all kinda fell through."

"You're mostly right. It's also a place where the System created by God is housed. Sacred Gears, Prayers, Reincarnation, Angelic Descension, it's all controlled by that central system."

"Aright, what's that got to do with Raynare?"

"When the original God died, the system was taken up by Michael, the Archangel, Highest of the Seraphim. He kept in running fine by himself for a while, but the old God's grand plan started to waste away in there. He'd put hundreds of other things in the System, and Michael couldn't hope to find them all."

"I don't follow."

"Think of God like the programmer. He knows all his work, inside and out. Then he dies, and another, _much less skilled_ programmer has to come along and reverse engineer his code. Wouldn't work, right? Not as well."

"Alright."

"So Michael couldn't really bring out the System's full potential. That's brings us to now." Azazel waved his hand, and a green magic circle wrapped around a camera in the corner of the room, disabling it. Issei lifted his head in surprise, not realizing it was even there.

"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room, understand?" Azazel asked, looking Issei in the eyes.

Issei just nodded, not really getting where he was going with this.

"Word around the campfire is...there's a new God running the system." Azazel said. Issei's eyes went wide. Azazel put his finger up to stop the boy from interrupting, and kept talking. "Heaven has kept extremely tight-lipped about it, and no one knows for sure. For a new God to be chosen...it would be groundbreaking. No, that's not the right word...amazing, I guess. To say the least. But, what's interesting, is that this new God seems to be re-initiating and improving God's unused System features, one of them being Angel Redemption. Your girlfriend, fiance, wife, whatever; she's the first of several scattered cases. Fallen from all walks of life of being Redeemed. They're being called Risen Angels. Now, I hope I don't need to tell you, but all of what I just said is strictly confidential."

Azazel moved away from the bed, and snapped his fingers. The camera he'd had disabled hissed and sparked as his magic circle dissipated. Azazel inhaled slowly, held his breath for a moment, then exhaled. He rubbed his temples. "It's always something, I swear…"

"What? Is something wrong? What'd you do to the camera?" Issei asked, confused.

"Well, I had been blocking the feed, but I might have just shorted it out, _and_ tripped a silent alarm, _and_ revealed myself, all at the same time. Suffice it to say, it's my time to go. We won't be able to talk for a bit, so...stay healthy, I guess. Oh, and…" Azazel came close to Issei again. "There's going to be a summit between the three biblical factions coming up soon. I want you to be there. I'll be in touch."

With that, Azazel disappeared from the room in a flash of verdant light.

He left just in time for the door to fly open and Sofia to rush in, flanked by two devils in light black armor.

"Who was that?" Sofia asked Issei, a worried look on her face.

"My uncle."

* * *

 **I'm sorry for the length, and I know it was just dialogue, but it was something, you know? It would be wasted if it was just chilling out in my documents for no good reason.**

 **To everyone who's every supported this story: thanks. Really, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. It's you guys that made this worth writing, and no matter what happens, I'll finish this story. It might not be this month, and it might not be five months from now, but by God, unless I die, this story will come to a conclusion that's worth the wait.** **(On the off chance I _do_ die, The Almighty Maluch has full rights to this profile, and will let everybody know.)**

 **Anyway, until next time, whenever that may be.**

 **Belial out.**


	21. Reprise and proposal

_**One month after the rating game**_

* * *

"Raynare, wake up…"

"Ughn, no~. I'm sleep. You sleep. We sleep."

A mostly-unconscious Raynare threw her arms around Issei and pulled him in closer, refusing his attempts to get her out of their bed. He sighed in defeat as she squashed against him, not leaving an inch of wiggle room.

For at least a week now, she'd been a pain to wake up, and while it normally wouldn't have been an issue, he was _finally_ cleared to go back to school (despite being completely healed for some time now, much to his disdain) which meant she would accompany him...normally.

"Raynare, I gotta go. Please come with me?"

"No, stay~."

"I gotta- Raynare, hey, come on…!" Issei was forced to laugh uncontrollably as Raynare began to relentlessly tickle him in an attempt to stop him from trying to get her out of bed. Unfortunately for her, his thrashing only served to wake her up even more, and she became more and more aware of what was going on. That, of course, did not stop her from tickling him.

"Why go to school anyway? Who needs that? I'm four thousand years old with no diploma, and I'm great. Stay here with your pregnant fiancé." Now mostly lucid, she finally let up, allowing him to weasel out of her arms and off the bed. The poor boy stood with his hands on his knees and breathed heavily, still laughing against his will every once in a while.

"I can't. If I don't graduate and get into a good college, I won't get a good degree, and then I can't support-"

"Shut up~. It's too early for big words. Let me make it simple, _darling~.._." Raynare pulled herself out of the bed, and Issei averted his eyes. Whatever position she'd slept in, it had left her silken black pajamas in a state of disarray, allowing him a bird's eye view of her bust. She walked over to her lover, giving him an enticing look as she continued talking.

"You are, without a doubt, the best person I can think of. At _least_ top five. That might just be because I don't like anybody else, but still. A degree will fall in your lap as soon as you put your mind to it, and you could get a job anywhere if you wanted to. Not to mention, you're already filthy rich. You can afford to sleep in." Raynare cupped Issei's face in her hands, forcing him to look at her in the eyes.

"That's not how it works…" He murmured, trying and totally failing to resist her charm.

"It works how I say it works." Raynare grabbed Issei and fell backwards, taking them both back onto the bed. She pulled him close, and he lost all will to resist. "Plus, I'm pretty sure you could just ask Azazel for a job whenever."

"I guess you're not wrong. Fine, we can stay for a few more minutes."

Raynare's plumage erupted skyward from her back, and she shrouded them both in her faintly glowing silver wings. Discarded feathers fell lazily to the black silk bed below, making look somewhat like a small tornado had swept a wave of unfortunate pigeons through the room.

"Who would've thought some bad-to-the-bone fallen angel assassin would love to cuddle so much?" Issei asked, giving her some rare snark as he settled into his position as the little spoon.

"Who would've thought a shy dork would knock up a much older woman before he even finished high school?" Raynare answered with a sly grin. Issei's blush turned atomic, and he realized just how outplayed he was in the sarcasm department. She had millennia of experience on him.

"Not just some older woman, though. It was the shy dork's fiancé. He loves her very much." Issei said quietly, taking Raynare's left hand that had been draped across his chest.

"Well, she kinda likes him too. And, she would prefer if the dork didn't refer to her as an older woman from here on- hey, what are you- oh my God, Issei?!"

Raynare couldn't even almost contain herself as she realized what Issei had just done. While she'd been talking and not paying attention, he'd taken her hand and put something on it.

Now that she had the presence of mind to look closely, she saw that her beloved fiancé had slipped a gorgeous silver engagement band onto her ring finger. It was the finest silver money could buy, molded in the shape of two overlapping angel wings and dotted with shining, brilliantly cut black diamonds. She was utterly speechless, and shot off the bed. Issei followed her up, and she looked at him with a cacophony of emotions and unspoken questions.

"Raynare, I know I already asked a while back, but-" Issei began kneeling, but was interrupted...

"Yes you dumbass, yes!" ...as Raynare tackled him right back onto the bed.

* * *

 _ **Several hours later**_

* * *

They'd arrived late, but at Issei's insisting, Raynare had finally accompanied him to school. Really, she had no reason to be there, as relations had successfully been built with the devils, as per Azazel's request, and a four-thousand year old angel _obviously_ wasn't worried about finishing High School. But, Issei was going to go every single day, and that meant, no matter how boring, tedious, repetitive, or downright _useless_ she found it, she'd follow. And it _definitely_ wasn't because of all the other pretty girls that went to Kuoh, not at all.

Not at all.

Issei sat in his desk, unable to pay attention while Raynare hummed blissfully in the seat behind him. She'd been understandably overjoyed about her new ring, and couldn't help but show it off to all the girls nearby her in their class.

"Oh my gosh, Hyoudou gave you that?!" One of them had squealed.

"Yup, he got it made special." Raynare had replied, waggling her adorned finger and smugly soaking up the gleeful attention of the girls.

Issei was the object of a much different type of attention, and he wasn't too pleased with it; the boys in the class had all decided he was apparently the scum of the Earth. Sighing, he resigned himself to a day full of jealous stares. It wasn't like they could do anything to him anyway; the only one at Kuoh who could match him at this point was Raynare, who'd more than likely castrate anyone who tried to hurt him.

As the clock finally drew down and a bell signaled the end of the school day, Issei inwardly groaned in relief. He'd been completely unable to focus with all the thoughts about marriage and children and everything else dancing around in his head, and he was more than ready to just be with Raynare again. Unfortunately, they had another stop to make before the two of them went home.

They paired up and left the classroom, heading to the ORC headquarters to visit with Rias' peerage for the first time since before the rating game. They'd spoken to single members here and there, but not together and not to the whole peerage, so Issei had elected to drop by and see how things were. Not to mention, word on the air was that Rias was still miffed by he and Raynare's failure to participate as agreed, and he wanted to try and smooth things over.

The couple left the main school, and were crossing the large courtyard to the ORC building when Raynare spotted two people in front of them, heading the same direction, but dressed in strange clothes.

"Hey, Issei, do you see those two?"

"...Yeah, I do. What in the world are they wearing?" They both had on white cloaks with large blue stripes running vertically down the length of the fabric. Not a single detail of their actual appearances could be discerned because of the encompassing robes, but one of them had a large object wrapped in white cloth mounted on their back.

"The robes of the church. They're exorcists. As in, the ones that hunt devils. Definitely rookies, they're wearing the most beginner church gear you can even get. One of them totally has a holy sword, though."

"Oh."

"Sucks for them, I guess." Raynare turned away, changing course away from the ORC. Issei's hand on her arm stopped her, and she unceremoniously groaned in annoyance.

"We should probably help, though, right?" Issei asked, looking towards the old school building. The exorcists were rapidly approaching the devils' headquarters, with the first of them having just reached the door.

"Can we help? Yes. Should we? Probably. Are we gonna? I hope not…"

Issei glanced at Raynare with a reprimanding expression, then started walking to the ORC. She huffed in resignation, then begrudgingly picked up the pace behind him. Before they could even get going, Issei caught a glimpse of a figure quite some distance away, catching his attention.

"Hey, Raynare, is that…?"

* * *

"Matsuda, have you heard from Kiba-"

Rias was interrupted mid-sentence as the door slammed open, falling off the hinges and startling everyone. The entire ORC was up in a flash, with everyone present ready for a fight.

The person who'd so violently ruined the door walked in behind it. It was someone in white exorcist robes, and as they pulled their hood back, it was revealed to be a girl with blue hair and hazel eyes.

"Who are you?!" Rias yelled urgently, a ball of Destruction crackling in each of her hands. Matsuda was on her right, black sword ready, and Akeno and Asia stood behind her.

"Calm down, we're here to talk." Behind the bluette, another cloaked figure walked in.

"People who are here to talk normally don't break down the door." Rias said warily, eyes darting between the two figures, trying to discern whether or not they were a threat. The sunburn-esqe radiation of Holy power was thick on the air, and Rias was almost positive they carried a Holy Sword, or more than one even. Even the mere action of exorcists stepping foot in Kuoh with such weapons could be considered an act of war, so why had they come? If the ORC was killed, it would surely plunge the factions into another bloodbath; her brother would-

"This isn't a normal circumstance. We've come to ask you to stay out of our business."

The first girl, who looked to be the leader of the two, spoke in a very no-nonsense manner, cutting right to the point and standing firm.

This, naturally, aggravated the devils, as she'd blown open the door in a _very_ yes-nonsense manner.

"Am I the only one who sees the flaw in that reasoning...?" Akeno muttered, wondering why they'd come far and away into the heart of Kuoh's devils for the sole purpose of telling them to piss off. Seems like it would've been easier to just keep it covert.

"Normally people introduce themselves before demanding something of another, too. Or are you exorcists too good for doors _and_ names? You'll be replacing that, by the way."

"I'm Xenovia Quarta, and this is Irina Shidou. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but lying is a vice."

"You're definitely honest, at least. Alright, fine. Let's talk. I'd prefer if you'd do something about those Holy Swords, but I'm guessing that's not an option."

"You guessed right."

Rias clicked her teeth, astounded at just how _rude_ one girl, from the _Church_ of all places, could be. "Akeno, get us some tea, would you? Seems I've got some negotiations to handle." Rias sat back down at her desk as Akeno excused herself to make the tea. Matsuda and Asia stepped behind Rias, and the two exorcists took seats at the couches.

Kiba, strangely enough, was noticeably absent, as was the subject of discussion prior to the exorcists' interruption. Nobody had heard from him for several days, and all attempts to contact him failed. All Rias knew is that he wasn't dead, as his Evil Piece would've returned to her.

"So what is it you want from us?" Rias asked, putting on her best diplomatic smile.

"Several Holy Swords have been stolen from the Church and are presently in Kuoh. We need you to stay out of the way while we track them down."

"If something of that caliber is happening in Kuoh, it's my jurisdiction. This town is my territory, and by extension Devil territory. You have no authority here. Not only that, how do you know I don't have the swords? Perhaps you just walked into a trap." Akeno returned, placing several cups of tea down for the exorcists and Rias.

"We...didn't _actually_ steal anything, right?" Matsuda whispered to Akeno as she returned to behind Rias.

"No, silly. She's just trying to get more information. Rias is a very skilled negotiator." Matsuda nodded at her words, impressed. That had gone completely over his head.

Xenovia was far less impressed; she reached to the hilt of her sword in the blink of an eye, but Irina stopped her, placing a steady hand on her arm.

"We're well aware you aren't in possession of the swords, Miss Rias. We don't mean to antagonize you; all we're asking is permission to move freely in Kuoh." Irina explained. Her calm demeanor was a far cry from Xenovia's brash, stony one, and much more pleasant at that.

"I'm going to need a little more to go off of than that. As I'm sure you've noticed, we're a bit short-handed at the moment, and all our efforts are currently concentrated into finding our friend. I don't need two exorcists running around on top of that."

"No, I'd say you've got more than enough hands." Issei and Raynare stepped through where the door used to be, someone slung in a soldier's carry between them, very obviously wounded.

It was Kiba. His uniform was tattered and blood-spattered, and he had two long gashes running down either side of his face. Not only that, but he bore several more cuts and slashes of various degrees, seemingly attacked by someone far superior with a sword than him.

Rias and the rest of the ORC were immediately at his side, helping lay the boy onto the empty couch. "Heal him!"

"Right!" At Rias' command, Asia began healing his various slashes and bruises.

"Where was he?" Rias asked, looking up at Issei from her place by the Knight's side.

"Not sure. We found him outside, crawling this way. Matsuda mentioned the other day that nobody had seen him in a while, so when we saw him hurt we just brought him here." Issei leaned on the back of the couch, peering at the two odd people on the opposite couch.

"...Thank you."

"Don't sweat it. He'd have made it by himself anyway, I'm sure. Who're they?"

Rias sighed, standing back up and readdressing her company. "Church exorcists. I suppose this is your town as much as it is mine, Red Dragon. Stay and listen." She sat back down at her desk, ready to continue, but Irina's interest had been peaked.

"Issei, you're the Red Dragon?!" Irina was up in a flash, stars in her eyes as she got uncomfortably close to Issei. Raynare's painted-black wing was between them in a flash, and she swept the over-excited girl away from him.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" The boy asked, confused. Nobody had introduced him, so how did this girl know his name?

"You don't remember me? No, I guess it has been a while...nevermind. We'll talk after this, okay?" Irina said with a cheerful smile, winking at him.

Raynare practically snarled at her, and the smile faded. She pulled Issei in with her extended wing, drawing him close to her and protectively shrouding him with her plumage. The look on the Angel's face was a completely nonverbal way of saying "try it and you're dead, bitch" and Irina was suddenly just a bit worried about what kind of company Issei'd been keeping.

"Is that the one you were talking about?" Xenovia whispered to Irina as she sat back down.

"Yeah, that's him. To think he'd be the Red Dragon Emperor…"

"Kiba's healed, but he's still unconscious." Asia said worriedly, reminding everyone there was still a wounded teenager in the room.

"He'll be alright with some rest. Thank you, Asia."

"Asia? Asia Argento, the witch? I'd heard she'd come here, but to think she'd go so far as to become a devil? Disgusting."

"Excuse me?" Rias asked, protective.

Asia looked down, tears forming at the sides of her eyes.

"Do you still believe in God, Asia?" Xenovia asked.

"Y-yes. I do." The poor girl mumbled.

"A devil that believes in God? Really?" Irina wondered aloud, surprised such a thing could exist.

"I could tell. I can smell the faith on people, if that makes any sense. I can just tell. Asia, I'm sure the Lord will forgive you for becoming a devil if you let me kill you."

"Oh, _hell_ no-" Matsuda started to react, but was interrupted.

"Uh, what? That's bullshit." Raynare said, drawing everyone's attention. "There's no way to save a devil, and not to mention; even if you could do it with everyone here, do you really think you could get away with killing a little girl? Devil or not, that would definitely not fly. We haven't been cool with human sacrifice for, like, three thousand years. Get real, dumbass."

"We? Who are you, anyway?" Xenovia asked, annoyed at having been brushed off.

Raynare didn't say anything, she just squinted her eyes in an 'are you stupid' expression and shook her still-present wing, pointing at the appendage like she was explaining something to a child.

"If we could get back on track…" Rias asked, mildly annoyed. She'd been nursing a headache even before the exorcists had showed up, and now it was running wild.

"You all know what we want." Xenovia said shortly, leaving no room for argument. She sat back down next to Irina, as ready as everyone else for this to be over.

"Well, I don't…" Issei muttered. He'd came in late, so obviously he wouldn't know what had been going on.

"I see no good reason to let you run wild in my city, looking for these swords you failed to protect."

"But-!"

"But, I'll allow it...on one condition. You allow my peerage and I, as well as the Red Dragon Emperor, to assist you, in whatever methods we deem necessary."

"Absolutely n-!"

"Deal." Irina's hand was covering Xenovia's mouth within milliseconds, not wanting to squander the opportunity to get some help with the mission. After all, their primary objective was to retrieve the swords; not to retrieve the swords _alone_.

"Glad we could reach an agreement. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I've got a servant to take care of. Off you go; I'll be in touch." Rias said, smiling sweetly as she kicked them out of the room.

The ORC watched them get up and leave, and Raynare glared murderously at Irina as she fled the room behind Xenovia.

"They didn't fix the door." Matsuda remarked, leering at the cracked piece of wood.

"Uh, quick question. Who were they, what'd they want, and what exactly is the Red Dragon helping with?" Issei asked a flurry of questions, dumbfounded.

"Exorcists, us to leave them alone, and not leaving them alone. And, in that order." Rias answered, smiling. Technically, she answered all his questions, just not in a way that gave any information at all.

"That didn't help at all."

"Yeah, I know. Just messing with you. Pull up a chair."

* * *

"That's it? All they wanted is for you guys to leave them alone? Why'd they even come here, then? They literally left with the exact opposite of what they wanted, it would've been better if they just kept it quiet and didn't tell us anything." Issei exclaimed, after listening to Rias' actual explanation.

"I know, right?" Akeno exclaimed, happy someone else got it.

"Well, regardless, I'm not going to let them run around unsupervised. I doubt the two of them could do anything by themselves, but if someone bad really does have stolen Holy Swords hidden in this town, it's our job to stop them, and if it takes us cooperating with the exorcists, then so be it." Rias said resolutely.

"Yeah, that's fair, but why did you offer _me_? I never even achieved balance breaker."

"And whose fault is that?" Rias asked tersely, still mildly annoyed by his refusal to activate the power. He'd lost the chance after nearly dying, as his recovery had greatly hindered his strength and lowered him past the threshold for Balance Breaking, and now it was anyone's guess when or if he'd be able to again.

"Well, I mean, we could go down the line on this one. Yours, for making me fight Matsuda. That's a fair answer."

"It wasn't Matsuda who stabbed you in the gut, was it?" Rias asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regret them; she knew Raynare still harbored an insane amount of guilt over the whole incident, and she hadn't meant to reopen old wounds like that.

Raynare looked down at the ground, and Issei glared harshly at Rias.

Without warning, Matsuda thumped Rias on the back of the head with his middle finger, breaking the tension. "It's not like I wasn't trying. But~, anyway, back to the point- why _did_ you offer Issei's help?"

Rias inwardly sighed in relief, glad her Pawn had saved her from what she'd said. "Just in case, mostly; if we need help with anything, the way I see it, Issei and Raynare still owe us. Since they couldn't participate in the game, they'll have to repay their debt in another way. Sound fair?"

"I guess so, yeah." Issei said, seeing the truth in her words. Raynare clicked her tongue. She knew Rias was right, but she didn't like the thought of being in debt to devils.

"Basically, my peerage and I will just go out with these exorcists once or twice, and if something crazy happens, we'll give you a call. 'Kay?" Rias asked, smiling genuinely this time.

Issei nodded in acceptance. "Guess that's all, then. I'll, uh, leave you to Kiba, then. Good luck with...all that."

The peerage waved goodbye as Issei and Raynare left.

* * *

Raynare and Issei began walking home, but on the way, Issei asked to make a detour.

Raynare was confused, but of course she agreed.

She didn't know where they were going, but he seemed to know exactly where he was.

It was much longer than their normal route, but soon Issei brought her to where he wanted to go.

It was the top of an unassuming bridge, over a normal road. Forest surrounded the road on both sides, and traffic lazily passed under the bridge every once in a while.

Issei stopped when he was at the center of the bridge, then faced the edge, looking out over the road.

They'd taken a long time to get here, and the Sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, casting a majestic orange glow over everything in sight.

"Hey, can I borrow your ring for a second?"

"Um, sure, but what for…?"

Issei didn't say a word as Raynare slipped off the gorgeous ring and handed it to him. He took it, carefully, and looked down at it with a soft smile.

"Raynare, do you remember where we are?"

"Do I remember…? Not really, why?"

"Ha, give it a second." Looking up from the ring, Issei cast his eyes out over the horizon. It was truly beautiful this time of day. "Last time we were both here, I...I wanted to end it all. Nothing seemed right. Nothing made me happy, and I couldn't see an end. When you came up to me, I thought you were lying. I thought you were just another dull patch in a sea of grey. 'No way can life actually be giving me an up,' I thought. 'No way can I have something good.'"

"That's really what I thought. And then you asked me out, and I turned you down. I went home that night, and I didn't even cry. I cried so much before that I didn't have any tears left. I was just...numb. But then, you saved me from Matsuda the very next day, and you were with me in the hospital the day after that, and the day after that you were with me at...that place, where you told me you loved me after two days. _Two days_. Ha, who says love at first sight doesn't exist?"

"I'll be honest, at first, I didn't know how to react. For a while, I didn't believe you. I was afraid to take the plunge, to attach myself to yet another person who'd run off without a goodbye. I went along with it, though. I didn't have anyone else, and you seemed so...strong. Never afraid for a minute of anything, totally unflinching. Even willing to kill your own friend to be with me. I've never had anything like that, not since my parents died. Never had anyone like that. Over time, you convinced me. Within a few days after meeting you, I was totally in love, head over heels. And I was terrified."

"It was...weird. How someone I'd known for so little time had so much influence over my life. I'd kill for you, I'd gladly die for you...and it felt great. All the little things started meaning so much more. Normal breakfast? Oh, I can't wait to share it with Raynare. Sleep? Oh, I can't wait to be beside Raynare. Even just the damn walk to school, you made it great. You made me happy again. Terrified or not, I was happy."

"And now, a kid. Ha, a kid. It's almost laughable how silly the situation is. Never thought I'd ever help make something so beautiful. I mean, how could I…? Something so ugly, making something so...immaculate. It's almost too amazing for words, but now I'm even more scared. Scared for the future, scared for the past. Scared for myself, and for you, and for the kid. But you know what?"

"I'm happy. And even if I spend the rest of my life being scared, I'd like nothing more than to face it with you, head-on. I love you, more than anything I ever have."

"Raynare, will you marry me?"

Issei turned around and dropped to one knee, raising the ring up for her to see. His eyes glistened with tears, but his smile was radiant and pure.

The question rang in Raynare's ears. Was this actually happening? He was really in love? This had to be a dream, right? There's no way in hell a boy this precious would ever want to be with a Fallen Angel like her.

But, she didn't have to pinch herself. She wasn't dreaming. She knew he wanted to be with her. She knew he was in love, and she knew he'd take her no matter what she was, Fallen Angel or not, and she wanted nothing more than to be with him one hundred percent of the way because she loved him even more than that.

Raynare dropped to her knees in front of him, so they were on the same level. Her perfect smile was as bright and shining as the Sun, and her happiness was evident in the glittering tears falling from her violet eyes.

She took the ring in her palm and pulled Issei into the tightest hug he'd ever had.

"Issei, you idiot...I'll say yes no matter how many times you ask."

He pulled away, smiling as she slipped the ring back onto its proper place around her finger.

"I wanted to do it right, this time."

Raynare laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. "You did. You always do. I love you, Issei Hyoudou, so no more being sad. I'd never forgive you if you did something crazy like jumping off a bridge."

Issei laughed, genuine and true. "With you, I'll never have to. I'll never be sad again."

* * *

"We've got Nightmare, Rapidly, and Transparent. Take your pick, and get me the rest."

"Well, I used Rapidly to slice up the devil-boy a bit, and that was fun, but~..."

Freed Sellzen picked up the wicked black blade, Excalibur Nightmare, and twirled it in his fingers.

"...I'm gonna try something with a little more _bite._ " Freed sheathed the sword at his hip.

"With Nightmare, you can create completely realistic illusions that wrench people's darkest fears out of their subconscious. If used properly, you could even make someone kill the ones they love the most, and they'd never even know it until it's far too late. Truly, a terrible fate." Valper Galilei explained.

"Oh, believe me, doc…"

Freed looked down at his bare left shoulder, where an arm used to be. Where the Angel bitch had gouged it off.

"...I know."

* * *

 **Okay, so, story time. A year ago, on Aprill 10th, a boy in his senior year of Highschool had a dream. It was about a generally ignored character from a lame anime. In the dream, she had this great backstory, and a wonderful development into a real angel, instead of the villain fodder she was in canon. Kind of a weird dream, I know, but a day later, the boy posted the first part of His Angel. The first few chapters were nothing special, because the boy was new to writing, but he kept at it. He kept writing, and kept improving, and kept loving the idea.**

 **A year, 1,000 followers, and 100,000 words later, here we are. I'm just about finishing my first year of college, and I could not be happier about the development of this story and myself. I've changed in so many ways it's insane, and no small part thanks to you guys. I don't wanna give another**

 **long-winded speech and waste your time, so I'll finish up with this; thanks. Thanks to everyone who's been with me since the start, and thanks to everyone who's jumped in along the way. Here's hoping we keep getting better.**

 **Anyway, that's it. As always, review if you liked it, PM me if you have a question, all that stuff. I've been wildly busy for a while now, so if you sent me a PM and I never responded, _please_ send it again. I try to get back to everybody, but as I learned yesterday, my phone apparently doesn't show me all my emails sometimes and I totally missed someone's PM. Whoops. **

**Also, go check out my newest story "Horns" if you can. I'm trying a crazy new writing style to see if I can make a decent DxD horror story, but it's wildly under-viewed and I'd appreciate some feedback.**

 **(NOTE THIS STORY IS NOT OVER. Apparently I confused some people. This is not a finale, I'm just sappy like that.)**

 **See you next mission!***

 ***Metroid Reference, because Metroid is literally the best series of all time**


	22. Nightmare

**Really nervous about this chapter. First time I've done anything like this, so I'm hoping it turned out alright. It was written in one sitting over the course of about four hours, and it was largely borne from a desire to simply get back into writing. I _really_ hope it's good. I think so, but uh...be gentle in those reviews, if it's horrible. I'll put more at the bottom, so read on.**

* * *

 **[Are you sure it was wise to let your mate go alone? The insane holy man is on the loose.]**

"Are you kidding? Freed wouldn't be any match for Raynare on his best day, much less down an arm. Plus, it wouldn't make any difference if I was there or not. She's so much stronger than me it's funny."

Issei spoke to his arm without looking at it, instead focusing on another parenthood book as he idly flipped the pages. Raynare and Kalawarner had elected to go shopping at Kuoh's mall, while Issei chose to stay home and read, not wanting to intrude on them.

That was several hours ago, and it was now night. Issei had avoided worrying about her the whole time, but now Ddraig's words whispered doubt into his mind.

 **[That's your fault. My balance breaker would've proven invaluable if you'd only activated it.]**

"You know as well as I do it would've hurt the baby."

 **[...You're right. I misspoke. Regardless, don't you think...someone's here.]**

Issei instantly put the book down and summoned his sacred gear, moving silently from the couch to his front door, ready for anything. Seconds after Ddraig spoke, a knock came.

' _Whoever it is, they're polite enough to knock.'_

 **[I sense holy power. Be ready for anything.]**

Issei hesitantly looked out of his peephole, half expecting Freed Selzen's mad grin on the other side. Much to his surprise, it was Xenovia and Irina. He sighed in relief, opening the door for them.

"How'd you two find this place?" Issei asked, wondering how and why his apartment from Lisa Lisa had turned into a supernatural hub. "Let me guess. Either Rias, or Azazel?"

"As if we'd consort with a Fallen Angel. Your address was given to us by the Gremory devil, yes." Xenovia said, narrowing her eyes at the thought of talking with the Governor General of the Fallen Angels.

"Yeah, well, coming here was as close as 'consorting with a Fallen Angel' as you can get without poking one. But, don't let that stop you. Come on in." Issei said, motioning for them to come inside.

The two exorcists obliged, stepping into Issei's living room and turning all about, admiring his decorum and penthouse view.

Issei was a naturally tidy person, so the general area of the penthouse stayed extremely well-kempt. Funnily enough, and not that he'd never admit it to anyone, but Raynare was actually a bit of a layabout, and liked to leave things laying around for Issei to pick up. Her particular favorite surprise to leave for him was to just randomly take off a bra and throw it somewhere, so she could watch him blush when he went to pick it up later.

Luckily for Issei's easily embarrassed self, he'd already tidied up for the day, so the two exorcists had nothing to see but a pristine penthouse with a gorgeous view and spectacular decorations. Inherited artifacts, pictures, and various other baubles lined the room, and Issei's taste for decorum was remarkable.

"This is your house, Issei? You're totally loaded…"

Irina, twirling around in amazement and thoroughly inspecting anything that looked mildly interesting, once again spoke like she knew him well. His brows furrowed in confusion, trying to piece together why in the world she spoke so familiarly.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Irina asked, suddenly in his face.

Issei unconsciously took a step back. Irina's bubbly extraversion was in sharp contrast to his own reserved nature, and she moved quicker than he could react.

"I, uh...no? Sorry, but I really don't remember ever meeting you or anything like that."

Irina sighed, not really expecting anything else, but she was disappointed nonetheless. Xenovia, sensing a conversation she didn't want anything to do with, silently excused herself to poke around in the kitchen.

Of course, the kitchen and living room were connected, so it wasn't really much of an escape.

"We were friends when we were little. At that fancy restaurant, Shangri-La? My dad and your dad constantly talked, so we ended up playing together."

Issei racked his mind, trying to remember. Something clicked, and the vaguest hint of a faint memory drifted into his mind. "Wait. Were you the boy with the cross necklace?"

Contrary to popular belief, Issei had not always been a friendless loser. At one point, when his parents were still alive, he had a group of several children that he'd call his friends. But, after he'd moved in with his step parents, he never saw a single one of them again, and they'd faded from his memory.

One of them, that he might even call one of his best friends, had been a chestnut-haired boy with an immaculate cross necklace. His father had indeed been a friend of Issei's dad, and had a personality much like Irina's.

"Ouch, Issei. I may have been a bit of a tomboy, but as a woman, don't you think that's a bit too harsh…?" Irina asked, poking her index fingers together in embarrassment. Issei, dumbfounded, took a closer look. Much to his surprise, the same cross necklace rested on her chest.

"No way...Aaron?" Of course, Issei only half-remembered the boy's name, but he supposed it did sound kind of like Irina.

"It's Irina! You always messed it up even then, it's Irina! I'm a girl, doofus! What kind of girl is named Aaron?!" Irina said, exploding as his childhood nickname for her resurfaced.

"That's...you're a girl?!" Issei yelled, shocked. He never in a million years would've guessed the boy he was friends with was a girl. The news was like a slap in the face.

"Of course I'm a girl!" Irina's face was bright red. "Do boys have…well, just look at these!" In her frenzy, she gestured to her chest, and Issei accidentally looked without really thinking about it.

Of course, with Issei's nasty luck, he picked a horrible time to be caught in that particular situation.

Raynare had just stepped through the door. Kalawarner walked in behind her, whistling in apprehension. "Bad move, kid. Raynare's the jealous type." The bluenette said with a knowing smirk, wasting no time in retreating to the kitchen beside Xenovia.

"Wait, Raynare, I can-"

"Issei's mine you skank!" Raynare's six wings all flared out as she lunged at Irina, Issei only barely managing to hold her back by grabbing her under the arms.

"Raynare, calm down! Your wings!" Issei was extremely frantic, because unlike the first time Raynare and Irina had interacted, the Angel didn't have her wings under an illusion- they were shining silver, for everyone to see.

Raynare stopping struggling against her fiance, realizing she'd accidentally revealed her silver wings to people that definitely _shouldn't_ have seen them. She quickly retracted them, and Issei pulled her into his arms from behind.

He was whispering something about how he'd never cheat on her and she didn't have to worry, but she knew all that stuff- she was paying more attention to the girl in front of her.

Irina was kneeling down on one knee in front of her, hand across her heart and face pointing at the ground. As Issei saw what she was looking at, he let go of Raynare and stepped away, wondering what in the world Irina was doing.

"Forgive me, Miss Angel. I didn't mean to intrude."

Raynare looked flabbergasted. She hadn't been called anything like 'Miss Angel' since before she Fell, and she hadn't had a human kneel to her in centuries.

"Uh, Irina...what are you doing?" Issei asked, just as confused as Raynare.

Irina didn't respond, choosing instead to keep kneeling in silence. Issei quickly glanced over at Xenovia, who was wide-eyed but quickly moved into her own kneel.

Kalawarner was mildly spooked, but she'd kinda suspected something like this ever since she found a silver feather on the couch.

"...At ease…?" Raynare offered hesitantly, trying to remember how she used to act when she was actually an Angel of proper rank and stature.

It seemed to work, as Irina instantly shot off the ground, running up to Raynare and grabbing her hands. Her eyes were wide and filled with awe, and she could hardly contain herself.

"You're one of the new angels, right? A redeemed one? Your wings are so amazing, can I see them again?" Irina was obviously struggling to keep herself at a polite level of hyperactivity, but her excitement at meeting one of the rumored Risen angels was too much for the poor girl to bear.

Raynare opened and closed her mouth in mute shock, but did as she was asked. Her six silver wings once again leapt from her back, and both Irina and Xenovia were in total bewilderment.

"You know about Risen angels?" Issei asked, wondering how they'd found out about something even Azazel barely knew about.

"We've only heard rumors. But, to see a real one...even more amazing than I could've imagined."

Issei never would've pegged Xenovia as the starstruck type, but the girl was practically foaming at the mouth as she and Irina poured over Raynare's wings from every angle.

"Okay, okay, can we all...come back to Earth for a second? You guys never even told me what you were doing here." Issei asked, trying to get the conversation back on to some kind of path that actually made sense. In no less than a couple minutes of talking, they'd gone all over the place, and he'd never even found out why Irina and Xenovia were there in the first place.

Raynare retracted her wings, much to the chagrin of the two exorcists. Sighing in barely-concealed disappointment, they stepped away.

"We came to warn you. Freed Selzen is active in the area, and he's apparently after you guys." Irina said, looking a little worried.

"Aw, really? I was kind of hoping he'd bleed to death after I'd ripped his arm off..." Raynare mourned, half sadistic and half wistful. Truthfully, even though she'd been on the same side as the rouge exorcist just a few months prior, she'd always hated him. She was her antithesis as a natural angel, fallen or not, and his pure psychosis disguised as religious devotion was something she could barely stomach.

"Yeah, Sona and Rias both texted me that exact thing an hour or so ago. Isn't he kind of, like, a non-threat, at this point? I mean, he cut Kiba up pretty bad the one time, but if he fought any of us in anything but a one-on-one, he'd definitely lose. Especially me or Raynare." Issei said, gesturing to his still-present Gauntlet and Raynare.

"That would be the case, if he wasn't carrying an Excalibur." Xenovia began to explain. "We hadn't seen any signs of him, till we found a mangled body last night- a stray devil. Cut to bits, with a residual holy aura on what was left. That's why the devils warned you, and why we came to do the same. Also, to ask for your help."

Issei grimaced. An insane priest with a holy sword and a hard-on for revenge against his fiance was absolutely not good news. But, he'd agreed to help, and he couldn't really sit back and do nothing while Freed Selzen stalked the streets at night, could he? Talk about a monster in the closet.

"So, what's our plan?" Issei asked, skipping to the heart of the matter.

"You, me, Irina, and Miss Raynare go out looking for him. Get rid of him, and take back the fragments." Xenovia said shortly, explaining the plan in full.

"Alright, that sounds good, but Raynare's not coming." Issei said, in a tone that offered absolutely no argument.

"Woah, hey, I'm _absolutely_ comin-" Raynare began to protest, but Issei silenced her with a pleading look.

"If there's even a one percent chance he could hurt you or the baby, I have to take it as an absolute certainty. Please sit this one out? Please? It's just Freed, we won't have any trouble." Issei took Raynare's hands, and, looking her in the eyes, he practically begged his fiance to stay out of harm's way.

"Issei, there's no way in hell I'm gonna sit back up here while you prowl around looking for a fight with a murdering psycho. You're out of luck." Raynare flatly denied his request.

"Raynare, I'm begging you. Stay here. Please."

"Probably a good idea, Ray. How about I go with the kid, and if anything goes bad, I'll get him out." Kalawarner offered, leaning on a counter in the kitchen.

Raynare glanced between her and Issei. His eyes, filled with concern for her and their child, were unrelenting. "...You promise?"

Kalawarner nodded, a no-nonsense attitude replacing her normal aloof nature. "I promise."

Raynare sighed in defeat. It would worry her to no end, and without a doubt she'd be yearning to leave the whole time, but she'd stay put. "Fine. Fine! But Issei, I swear to God, if you get hurt and make me worry I'll never forgive you!" Raynare pulled him into a kiss by his shirt's collar, surprising the boy, then stepped back. She fled to their room and closed the door, leaving Issei and everyone else standing around.

"I...guess we're good." Issei said, briefly wondering if he'd made a mistake.

"Don't worry. Xenovia and I have our Excaliburs, and you're the Red Dragon. There's no way Freed can beat us all!" Irina said, chipper as ever.

"Yeah, you're probably right, but...I dunno. Feels like I might've just made Raynare angry."

"Nah, she's just worried. She knows you're right, but she's still gonna worry about you. I've never seen her like this, kid. You must be something special." Kalawarner said, tussling his hair as she passed him on the way to the front door. "So, we going or what?"

"I guess so. Lead the way." Issei said, gesturing to the door. Kalawarner stepped out, with Issei and the exorcists in tow.

* * *

Raynare was starting to freak out. It had been two _hours_. She'd gnawed her fingernails down to the base, she was shaking, and she could've sworn her hair was starting to fall out. She'd only been away from Issei for an extended period a handful of times since they'd met, and it always made her nervous, but this time something felt...off.

She hadn't heard anything from anyone except a text from Issei an hour ago that everything was fine and not to worry, but obviously that hadn't done much. She was definitely still worrying.

As if on cue, a knock came from the front door, loud enough to be heard all the way in her room. Raynare practically raced to open it, beyond eager to make sure Issei was alright.

"Issei-!" She began to yell in anticipation, flinging open the front door.

Only...it wasn't him.

It was most certainly not her beloved fiance and the father of their child.

No, on the other side of the door was none other than Freed Selzen himself.

"Miss me?" Freed had a wicked grin, and his one arm held a pitch black sword, wreathed in twisting shadows.

Before Raynare could even react, the priest hit her over the head with the sword's hilt. Her eyes rolled back, and she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

"I can't believe we didn't find him after all that time." Issei said, walking up to the door of his penthouse.

As soon as his eyes reached it, he was on high-alert.

Something was wrong.

The door was wide open.

Issei dashed inside, his three companions in tow. Inside was a sight that chilled him to the bone.

Writing on the wall. In red. Like something out of a slasher movie. Written in red, all over the walls, were three simple words:

 _ **COME TO SCHOOL**_

 **[It's...her blood. It's Raynare's.]**

Pure and unfiltered _rage_ flooded Issei's psyche. His eyes began to glow green, and his gauntlet was aflame with scorching draconic fire.

 **[BALANCE BREAKER! SCALE MAIL!]**

Wrapped in a plume of flames, Issei Hyoudou let out a single roar and leapt from his high-rise window-wall, shattering and evaporating the entire thing.

A wave of incomprehensible power nearly swept the three girls in the penthouse to their knees, but they were quick to recover. Kalawarner grabbed the other two by their arms and dashed after Issei, flying from the destroyed wall on two black wings and following the crimson streak in the sky.

* * *

"He'll kill you for this! You're a dead man, Freed!" Raynare screamed and bucked against her shackles, writhing in anger. Whatever he'd done to her had left her powerless, so all she could do was wail and hope Issei would find her in time.

The sword he'd hit her with was Excalibur Nightmare, a horrific weapon infamous for it's mind warping abilities. He'd used that power to knock her out and disable her powers, then bring her to a shed at Kuoh Academy of all places, where she was now shackled to a metal pipe. She bled profusely from a wound on her right leg, where Freed had cut her to write his note for Issei.

"Shut up! As if I cared about any of that bullshit! All I've thought about for the past _however fucking long_ is getting you back for ripping off my arm! You didn't even care! You turned traitor, dismembered me, and went back to living a cozy life with your disgusting dragon boyfriend in a penthouse apartment! You stupid _bitch_!"

Freed slapped Raynare in the face, but she barely even flinched. She spat at him, hitting the priest in his left eye. The priest snarled, raising his hand again, but thought better of it.

"You know, at first, I just wanted to hurt you. But, how _boring_ would that be?! SO, I found a bETTER WAY! It's 100% going to kill me, but man it'll be good. You know what this is, right~?" Freed asked, waving Excalibur Nightmare in her face. She knew very well what it was.

"The best way to hurt you wouldn't be to hurt you at all! It would be to do _this_!" Freed pressed the sword's flat side against Raynare's forehead and sneered. She began to writhe and scream, and she knew exactly what was happening.

Excalibur Nightmare was digging up her darkest fears, bringing them to the surface. She was helpless to resist.

* * *

Issei, barely coherent, slammed into the Kuoh Academy's track circle with the force of an earthquake, sending debris everywhere. He was covered from head to toe in wicked draconic plate-mail, and the armor was cloaked in blinding orange flames. Two green gems shone where his eyes were, and a whip-tail protruded behind him.

"FRE **ED!"** Issei roared, his voice becoming dragon-like and horrific midway into it. His was a terror to behold, but Freed Selzen was far past the point of being sane enough to feel fear at this point. The priest walked cockily out into the track field, leaving the shed without hesitation.

"Yo, dragon boy! How's it hanging?!" Freed cackled, dancing as he approached the Red Dragon.

Issei exhaled _fire_ , trying to keep himself calm enough to stay in control.

" **Where is she?"**

Issei's voice shook the ground, and the air around him shimmered with power.

"Oh, she's right in there," Freed said in a sing-song voice, gesturing to the shed he'd just left, "but I don't think she wants to see you right now-"

There was a sickening crunch, and a splash to follow.

In less than a millisecond, Freed was dead.

Issei pulled his hand out of Freed's torso and discarded the monster's heart to the side. The body was burnt to ashes in mere moments as Issei stepped over it.

He had no time for games.

" **Rayn** are…?!" Issei called out, willing his Balance Breaker to disappear. The power was overwhelming, and he almost could feel himself slipping into madness, but he could _not_ allow himself to hurt Raynare in his rage. It was physically one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he forced the armor to disperse.

He opened the door to the shed fred had come out of, and quickly entered. His eyes turned green once more, and the pitch black shed was illuminated.

On the floor was Raynare, twitching in the fetal position.

"Raynare!"

Issei was with her in an instant, smashing the chains that bound her into dust with his newfound strength, and cradling her in his arms.

"Raynare, talk to me!"

Raynare made no move or motion, other than her head lolling around.

"Ddraig, is she alright?!"

 **[Physically, she's fine. I don't know what's wrong with her.]**

"Why won't she talk to me?!"

 **[I don't know, but you have to calm down. You cannot afford to become so agitated after exhausting yourself with Balance Breaker. You are more susceptible to Juggernaut Drive now than ever.]**

Issei bit his tongue, nearly biting the appendage off, trying to calm himself down. Panic was rising in him, and it was plain to see something was very wrong with his fiance.

"Raynare, please…" Issei muttered, beginning to cry.

As if sensing his sadness, Raynare looked up at him. Issei felt a spark of hope.

Raynare screamed. Six midnight-black wings shot from her back.

Without warning, her face contorted into one of rage and terror, and she slapped Issei away with enough force to seriously injure a normal human. The boy deftly landed on his feet with just enough time to dodge two incredibly fast spears of light, thrown directly at him. He stumbled backwards out of the shed, not understanding what was happening.

"What are you doing, Raynare?!"

"I'll die before you kill him!"

* * *

 _ **Elsewhere**_

* * *

Raynare was sleeping quietly with her fiance, when Vali Lucifer slammed through their window and into their bedroom, aiming to murder Issei. For some reason, the boy stayed asleep, but Raynare did not- she was quick enough to deflect the White Dragon's initial assault, and slapped him away. She immediately followed with two light spears, both of which he unfortunately dodged.

"You knew this was coming, Raynare!"

"I'll die before you kill him!"

Vali stumbled out of the room the way he came, and Raynare was quick to pursue. Flaring her wings, she leapt after him as fast as she could, only to find that for some reason, they were now on the ground at Kuoh academy- she didn't stop to think about why, she only flew at the threat to Issei's life.

* * *

"Raynare, wake up! Please, stop!" Issei pleaded with his fiance, her relentless assault pushing him to his very limits. Whatever Freed had done to her, she wasn't snapping out of it, and Issei didn't know how long he could fight back; his use of Balance Breaker had exhausted him, and it was all he could do to merely avoid her attacks. On the bright side, if it could even be called that, she seemed to only be using Light attacks, physically trying to hurt him with her spears. He was at least grateful for that; Issei didn't know if he would be able to withstand her real magic at all.

"Raynare, please! I'm begging you, wake up!"

In all honesty, he'd be perfectly alright with giving her his life once more if it meant stopping whatever was terrifying her so much.

But, he knew she could never live with herself if she killed him. The guilt from almost doing it the last time was still eating her alive, and he couldn't bear to see her cry, not again. Even if he was dead, he couldn't bear it. So, he had to live.

"Raynare, please, don't make me do this! Snap out of it!"

 **[Issei, you do not possess the means to fight! Run away!]**

"Damn it, wake up Raynare!"

* * *

Vali was proving to be an annoying foe. She'd kept him on the defensive with Light weapons, a poison lethal to devils, so he had yet to use his sacred gear against her, and that was probably the only reason she and Issei were still alive.

"...raynare, wake u…"

Vali had just dodged the latest in a slew of spears when something tugged at her mind. It was a swift yank, like someone had just pulled down on her consciousness itself. A voice came from all around her, and for a second, everything around her melted into a different scene. The bright daytime Kuoh that she'd been fighting Vali in was replaced with a dark and damaged Kuoh and Vali himself was...Issei?

She stopped, suddenly unsure. Was she really fighting the White Dragon, or was something else going on?

* * *

"Yes! Raynare, fight it! Fight it, fight it, fight it! Come on, wake up!" Issei cheered Raynare on, a new vigor in his speech.

Raynare had suddenly stopped mid-attack, fidgeting and seemingly fighting with herself. Her black wings tinged silver, and began to waver.

Stealing his resolve, Issei began to approach her. He was too out of steam- he couldn't dodge another of her attacks. This was it.

"Raynare, you're my everything. I can't live a day without you. Please, come back. I love you." Issei said, stepping ever closer to her.

Raynare groaned in pain, and tears began to stream down her face. Issei moved closer, slowly. He was limping, and blood dripped from a dozen cuts all over his body. They were all superficial, and he wasn't seriously injured, but the fact that he was even conscious after his first use of Balance Breaker was a feat in itself. That he could move was phenomenal.

"You know, I was thinking about what we should name our kid! We haven't really talked about it, all that much. I was thinking Maybe Tenshi, if it was a boy- written with the characters of Heaven and Gift- Heaven's Gift. Tenshi! Wouldn't that be great, Raynare?"

Raynare struggled, seemingly edging closer and closer to consciousness. Her eyes had some light to them now, and she made eye-contact with Issei. She had fear written all over her expression.

"I don't really have anything for a girl's name, but we can come up with one together! Come on Raynare, please!"

Issei was a meter away.

* * *

"Issei? Issei! I'm scared! Where are you, Issei?!" Raynare yelled at the sky. She got glimpses of Issei every few seconds, but nothing solid. All she could see was flashes of Vali and Issei, shifting between the same position. Issei's voice seemed to come from all around, and she didn't know what was happening.

"Issei, I can't find you! Where are you?!"

Raynare was terrified. She was _beyond_ terrified. She couldn't find Issei, she didn't know what was real, and she didn't know what was going on or where she was.

" _Raynare, you're my everything. I can't live a day without you. Please, come back. I love you!"_

"I want to! I want to, God, I want to! Where are you?! Issei!"

Raynare started to cry.

" _You know, I was thinking about what we should name our kid! We haven't really talked about it, all that much. I was thinking Maybe Tenshi, if it was a boy- written with the characters of Heaven and Gift- Heaven's Gift. Tenshi! Wouldn't that be great, Raynare?"_

"I...That's beautiful, Issei! Yes, I love it! Issei, I love it! Where are you?!"

Raynare twirled around, searching everywhere for Issei, but she was alone. No Vali, no Issei. No Kuoh. She was just...alone. She was in the middle of a grassy field at night time, with nothing around for miles.

" _I don't really have anything for a girl's name, but we can come up with one together! Come on Raynare, pleas_ e!"

Raynare screamed. She screamed for love, and she screamed for fear, and for everything in-between.

The sky cracked itself cracked to pieces. She looked up, and through her tears, she saw Issei's face. Covered in blood and with tears of his own, he looked back at her.

Slowly, the nightmare she'd been in fell away, leaving only Issei. Him, and nothing else. Just Issei and the stars. She realized she was on her back, looking up.

"You idiot...you made _me_ worry. I guess I know how you feel." Issei said, cradling her in his arms. Tears fell freely down his face as he pulled her further into his embrace.

Raynare breathed heavily, her heart pounding. She was covered from head to toe in a cold sweat and she could barely move, but it didn't really matter. She found her Issei, and she was safe inside his arms.

"Issei! Raynare!" Kalawarner's voice called out from above, and Raynare watched her friend and the two exorcists descend from the sky, landing near her and Issei and hurrying over.

As they approached, Issei began to laugh. A painful, relieved, worrisome and elated laugh. He laughed and laughed, and then passed out beside her, a lovely smile on his face.

Worry shot through Raynare, but Ddraig was quick to assuage her fears.

 **[He's fine, just exhausted. Go to sleep. This'll all be over when you wake up.]**

Raynare didn't need any more encouragement than that. She passed out too, right by her Issei.

* * *

 _ **Some time later**_

* * *

"Raynare, wake up." Issei shook his fiance lightly by the arm.

Raynare sat up and opened her eyes, yawning. The memories of everything that had happened shot through her in an instant, but before she could do anything, Issei hugged her tightly.

"You're fine. Freed's dead, and I destroyed the sword that did that to you. While I was dealing with Freed, Rias found the guy behind everything, Valper or something like that, and Kiba killed him, and after that I had Azazel check on you while you slept, and he says you're all fine. But, even then, you slept for two days, and I...I missed you."

Raynare hugged him back, her fears soothed. She really didn't even know where to start, but she knew a decent enough thing to talk about.

"Hey, darling? Tenshi is a beautiful name."

Issei laughed.

* * *

 **So...yeah. That's that. The Freed mini-arc or whatever is over now, so that's neat. Like I said up top, this was written quickly because I decided I wanted to post tonight and I also decided I didn't like the other draft of Chapter 22, and it came mostly from me wanting just to write _something_. I've had a bit of time lately but haven't felt like writing (lots of gnarly shit going on irl right now) so I really just wanted to put a chapter out. Hopefully this chapter didn't suffer for that, and I hope it wasn't too cheesy; it seemed decent to me, but I guess you guys are the judge and jury, so we'll see. If you have any questions or whatever, you know the drill. PM for bad things, review for good things, or just review for whatever I guess. It's about four in the morning at the time of posting, and I really just wanna catch some Z's and be done with it so I'll just leave it at that. **

**See you next mission!**


	23. No one else, ever

**Yikes. So, I know I said I'd be updating more this summer, but as it turns out, I've been working _waaay_ more than I planned. The place I'm working is really short staffed, so I get scheduled way more than normal...not a lot of time to write. No worries, I'm still doing what I can when I can. **

**This chapter is really short, just me trying to get situated again. Don't worry, I think I'm good now. Should be a little bit better on updating now, at least...hopefully.**

 **But, putting all that junk aside, I'd like to ask _you_ , the readers, for a favor. But, I'll do that at the bottom, so just stay tuned. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Raynare rubbed her head, taking in all the information Issei had given her.

"It almost feels like this whole thing with Freed barely happened." She said, thoughtfully furrowing her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

She and Issei were in their bed, several minutes after she'd woken up from being unconscious. She was wearing her normal black silken pj's, and Issei was already dressed; he was in the standard Kuoh uniform, minus the blazer.

"I dunno, it's like...I almost expected more of a lasting impact? I'm not really sure how to put it."

"Like you were worried it would be something more than scratches and emotional damage, and now that that's all we got you're wary to relax?" Issei said, eloquently voicing everything he'd been feeling for the past two days while Raynare slept.

Raynare nodded, impressed at both how much Issei's communication skills had improved since they met, and at how correct he was. "Exactly."

"Well, I feel one hundred percent the same way, but whether that was Freed's whole plan or not, he's dead now. I, uh...I tore out his heart." Issei said quietly, almost expecting to be berated by Raynare.

"Ha, nice! That's definitely one way to do it." Raynare nodded and hummed approvingly, and Issei realized he forgot that she'd been a millennia old assassin. "With your bare hand, or the gauntlet?"

Even with her _interesting_ moral compass and indeterminate status as a Risen Angel, Raynare absolutely enjoyed combat, and to hear about how her fiance had savagely ripped out a priest's heart in defense of her set her heart aflutter.

"Well, I didn't really have a bare hand at the time. Oh, right! That reminds me!" Issei got up from the bed, standing excitedly off to the side while Raynare watched with a questioning look. "Balance Breaker!"

 **[Scale Mail!]**

Ddraig wreathed Issei in his draconic armor, but withheld the massive wave of power that normally accompanied such a transformation. He understood perfectly well that Issei just wanted to show off to his mate.

"Issei, that's incredible! I hate what caused you to unleash it, but...it's still pretty badass." Raynare was in awe at the raw and savage plate armor wrapped around Issei. He radiated heat, and looked ready to kill. "...And kinda hot."

If it was possible for Issei to blush through his helmet, he would've. Instead, he dispersed the armor and got back into bed, sitting on top of the covers and moving close to Raynare.

"So, fill me in on the rest of everything else."

"Well, I passed out before you, I think, but then woke up only a little bit after. Ddraig said something about Balance Breaker kicking my healing into overdrive, so I was pretty much fine after just a few minutes. I was up just in time to watch Kiba unleash his Balance Breaked against the big bad."

"Kiba unlocked his Balance Breaker too? What did he get? Like...even more swords?"

"From what I understand, which isn't saying much, he somehow was able to produce a mixed Holy and Demonic sword. The bad guy was spouting stuff about how that meant God was dead, but since we know that's not true, I really have just _no idea_ what's going on behind the scenes anymore. Anyway, Valper or whatever his name was revealed that the previous God had died, which was apparently a huge secret because everyone on Rias's team was freaking out, but nobody there knew there's actually another God already so I just kept quiet about that. Kiba killed Valper, the excaliburs were returned to the church, and Irina left."

"Just Irina? What happened to Xenovia?"

"She joined Rias' peerage, actually. Totally surprised me."

"Yeah, what? Xenovia, as in the one who threatened to kill Asia for being a devil? Yikes, you think you know a gal…"

"Tell me about it. After all that stuff was over with, I brought you back here and contacted Ziz- I mean Azazel, sorry- and asked him to check you over. He gave me the all clear for both you and the baby, said you just needed rest to recover from the mental and physical strain caused by Excalibur Nightmare. So...here we are, I guess. Oh, and he also said the upcoming faction summit has been accelerated. Both of us have been requested, and by that I mean I was and I refused to go unless I could have you as my plus one."

"I'm honored, truly."

"Yeah, I'm not eager either, but there's gonna be a bunch of important people there, so says Azazel. He said even the new God should be present, which is almost the entire reason for the meeting."

"T-the new God? Really? Azazel said that specifically?"

Raynare blanched, visibly terrified at the prospect of meeting God again. Even if he or she had deemed her worthy of being 'risen' and turned her into a silver winged angel again, she wasn't excited to be reacquainted with the one who'd cast her down in the first place. Different God or not, they sat atop the throne of heaven, and "complicated" couldn't begin to describe how she felt on the matter.

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll be facing them together. God or not, if whoever it is hurts you, I'll make them kneel before the Red Dragon."

Issei's eyes flared with a menacing crimson glow, and the temperature of his skin climbed to almost uncomfortably hot.

Raynare's heart shot into her throat, both touched and horrified by the sentiment that Issei'd be willing to fight God himself if it meant protecting her.

"You just never stop, do you? What happened to the shy guy I meant all that time ago, huh? You went from not making eye contact with anybody to threatening God. It's really cute~." Raynare cooed, stroking Issei's cheek. His fiery demeanor cooled in an instant, and he melted like butter into Raynare's embrace.

"You happened. I'll be anyone you want, now and forever."

Now it was Raynare's turn to melt, but she didn't skip a beat.

"You're exactly who I want. No one else, ever."

Raynare's wings leapt from her back, cloaking them in a sphere of silver plumage. Issei was on all fours now, looking down on her.

"Issei, your eyes changed color. They're green now, with slit pupils. A dragon's eyes." Raynare rubbed Issei's cheek, looking up into his eyes.

"Ddraig says my whole body is more Dragon than human now, after achieving Balance Breaker. I guess that includes my eyes."

His face was less than six inches from hers.

Raynare hummed, reminded of the immense power he wielded under his soft exterior. At this point, he was likely stronger than her.

Not that she was complaining, of course. The heat and power coming off him was setting her senses on fire.

"Really? Your _whole_ body? Hmmm~, I wonder what else has changed…" Raynare's hands trailed down his chest, and Issei began to blush. But, before anything could happen, Issei sighed and moved backwards, leaving the shroud of Raynare's wings.

The Angel looked quizzically at her fiance. He hadn't _ever_ refused her advances after their first time. Issei backed off of their bed entirely, confusing her even more.

"I, um...Azazel said...uh...no sex." Issei stammered, looking away.

"Whaat?! Seriously?! That dick!" Raynare yelled, cursing Azazel. Honestly, she'd figured it probably wasn't a good idea to begin with, but she'd been perfectly okay with doing it anyway.

"I'm sorry! He said it'd be a good idea to just let you rest, at least for today." Issei looked both ridiculously embarrassed and tragically apologetic, and it made Raynare laugh.

"Oh well, I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. Damn, I got so close, too...oh well. Alright, I'm gonna go take a shower. What time is it?"

Issei sighed in relief, happy the topic was brushed under the rug so fast. "About seven in the morning. I was just about to leave for school. You probably should stay home. I can stay with you, if you want-"

"No, you go ahead. I'm sure you've already skipped the past couple days on my account, right?"

"...Yes."

"Then you go to school. I'll be here with Kalawarner. And, I promise I won't open up the door for strangers anymore. Probably."

Issei's worries were assuaged by his fiance's nonchalant dismissal, and he smiled. "Thanks. I'll be home as fast as possible."

"Sure. Bye." Issei closed the gap between them, sharing a parting kiss with his wife-to-be before leaving the room.

Raynare left the bed, moving into their large bathroom and shutting their door behind her. Two days in bed will make anyone feel gross, and angels were no exception. She started the shower, and began to strip down before looking at her abdomen in the mirror.

It had been nearly two months since she'd gotten pregnant, and while she knew she'd start showing about four months into the pregnancy, she couldn't help but check for the baby bump every day in the mirror. The whole thing was still just so unbelievable to her.

She hadn't told Issei, but the chances of conception between members of two different supernatural species, such as Fallen and demi-dragons, were exceptionally low. Even just two of the same species was extremely low, and most Fallen could live lives full of rampant debauchery without ever having to worry about a pregnancy. She had never expected to become pregnant on their _first_ night together.

But, regardless of the circumstances, Raynare couldn't _wait_ to become a mother. She'd been alive for thousands of years and the thought had almost never even crossed her mind, but now the thought of raising a child with Issei set her heart ablaze. It made the previously stone-cold Fallen Assassin giddy just imagining it, and when Issei had broken her out of Nightmare's effects with a baby name of all things- it only made her maternal drive stronger.

"Tenshi…"

Raynare lightly brushed her abdomen, where her child was growing. She wondered if it would be a boy or girl, and the words of Issei's late mother echoed in her mind.

"...I like Tenshi."

Maybe Issei wasn't so bad at names after all.

* * *

 **Okay! Hope you liked it, I know it wasn't much. Expect next chapter and the ones after to be far meatier, this was just exposition for the freed arc and some setup for stuff after, but I'm sure you figured that out.**

 **So like I said at the top, I'd like to ask you all for a favor/contest/poll.**

 **I want ideas, for three things specifically.**

 **1\. Chapter ideas for this fic. Arc ideas or just one-shot fluff ideas, one or both. I'm good with any type of chapter suggestion (not _story_ suggestion, write your own Great Red Issei power fantasy) so show me what you've got. I'll without a doubt be writing the best ones, so don't be afraid to tell me what you want!**

 **2\. Wedding ideas! Your two favorite characters are getting married, so it's only fitting that they should have a great wedding. As for the minister, I've already got an idea in mind, but everything else is fair game. Let me have it, no holds barred!**

 **3\. ...Baby names! Tenshi is great (in my humble opinion) but I know some of you have definitely got some ideas, and I'd love to hear them. And, if it's not too much trouble, how about some baby ideas other than a name? Like "momma's boy, brown hair and violet eyes, takes after mother's personality. Name- Bartholomew." (side note- if the baby is ever named Bartholomew, please know that I've died and been replaced by a pod person. I would** _never_ **name any living creature something so horrid.) But yeah, baby ideas. Let 'em rip.**

 **Send your suggestions in review, PM, smoke signal, morse code, I don't really care, just send 'em. Send your suggestion for #1, send all three, I don't care. But ideas are something I'm desperately short of these days, and I know you guys have a lot of stuff you want to happen, and I'm definitely all for making it so. Just let me pick your brains!**

 **Anyway, I think that's about it. See you next mission!**


	24. Shopping

**Still small chapters for this one, for now, but I don't think that's really bothering anyone at the moment. This is just some extra scenes I had written from a while, finally refined to a place I like. Hope you all do too.**

* * *

"Where's the kid?" Kalawarner asked, leaning against a counter in the kitchen.

"School. Again. For _whatever_ reason." Raynare snarked, drying off her hair with a towel. She was wearing a black bathrobe, having just exited the shower. Kalawarner wore her standard maroon outfit.

Unbeknownst to just about everyone except Raynare, the outfit had been a gift from her late father. Unlike Raynare, who had been a pure angel until she fell from Heaven, the bluenette was _born_ a fallen angel, and had been one her whole life.

"He knows he could just drop a cover album or something and set the two of you up for life, right? If you're not loaded enough already." Kalawarner was amongst the hundreds of thousands of people who'd been ridiculously impressed by Issei's impromptu performance at Shangri-La, though she'd never say that to his face.

"Actually, the plan right now is something way less interesting." Raynare said, throwing the hair-towel across the couch for Issei to find later. If her clutter actually made him angry in the slightest, she'd stop in a heartbeat, but he was a bit of a neat-freak. She'd seen what he was like when there wasn't any tidying left to do; he goes a little stir-crazy.

"Really? What's that?"

"He's gonna finish highschool and go to one of Azazel's colleges. That's about all he's got so far, and it's totally stressing him out- it's kind of cute, honestly. I don't think he realizes I have millions in human money packed away; he could literally not work a day in his life ever again and we'd still be fine, not to mention he has the leader of a biblical faction as an uncle and benefactor."

Kalawarner laughed. "You know he's doing it for you."

"Oh, I know. Believe me, no one knows it better." Raynare smiled wistfully, already missing her better half even though he'd been gone for less than a half-hour.

"Something like 'if I don't finish highschool and graduate college, I won't get a good job and we'll be homeless,' right?"

It was Raynare's turn to laugh. Her best friend's guess at Issei's exaggerated version of his own dilemma was pretty spot-on.

"Exactly. Oh well, it's cute to say the least. I think on some level, he knows he could just not go to school- but whether it's for me or just to honor his mom, he's finishing it out anyway. I'm fine with it, the baby's not due for a long time anyway. Not like it'll take too much time out of him being a dad."

"I doubt he'd let it. He's the vigilant type. Speaking of which, have you guys decided on what to name her?"

"Her? It could be a him. That's what I'm betting on. And, no. Names are still totally up in the air. Every time I bring it up, Issei clams up and starts freaking out about being a dad as a teenager. I can't get it through his head that that's normal for supernatural beings."

"Lillith."

"...Like, a name? No."

"Ariel."

"No."

"Kalawarner Junior?"

"Over my dead body. And probably Issei's, too."

"Rachel."

"Whoa, hey. That's a little too close to Raichiel."

"Yeah, my bad. Issei only speaks Japanese, right?"

"Nope, English too."

"Great. Eleanor?"

"...I don't hate that, actually. We'll keep it under consideration."

"Score." Kalawarner walked over to where Raynare was leaning back against the counter and put her hand on the future mother's abdomen. "Eleanor, you better be glad. I just gave you a great name."

"And what if it's a boy?"

"Bartholomew."

"...That is the single dumbest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth. Like, holy shit. How _dare_ you offend my child and I with that God-forsaken name?"

 **(AN: All you Bartholomews out there, I'm not sorry. Your name is divine retribution. Blame whatever wretched being saw fit to bring you into the world for cursing you so.)**

Kalawarner laughed out loud. "Yeah, I dunno what came over me. Maybe...Ddraig Junior?"

"Can I file a restraining order on you for my unborn child, or is too early for that?"

Kalawarner cackled, moving away. "Alright, another girl one. What about...hmm...I know you and your loverboy can't get enough of cheesy shit, so how about...Miracle?"

Raynare began to speak, prepared to shoot down another of Kalawarner's awful names, but no sound came out. Her mouth opened and closed, and her eyes widened and narrowed along with it.

"...Miracle…" Raynare whispered, turning the name around and around in her mind. She'd completely forgotten Kalwarner was even present, too focused on what seemed to be the perfect name.

Miracle- A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences. As in, Raynare not murdering Issei. It was a miracle that he was alive. It was a miracle that they'd gotten together. Hell, it was a miracle that she was pregnant to begin with.

Raynare snorted a laugh.

"You know what? I like that. And not that fake like I gave Eleanor, I actually like that one. A lot."

"Good. Don't say I never did anything for you." Kalawarner moved back to her original spot leaning against a countertop, beyond pleased with herself for coming up with a name Raynare loved.

"So, when's the big day?"

"...Big day?"

"Uh, duh? Your wedding day. Or did you forget that you got engaged? Must be hard with a disco ball on your finger."

Kalawarner gestured to the gleaming jewelry on Raynare's ring finger. Not once had it left her hand since Issei gave it to her.

"Oh...right. We haven't really talked about it yet. Probably within a month or two, I guess. Before I start showing, at least. I've heard humans normally stay engaged for a year or more, but that sounds like a huge waste of time."

"I definitely agree, but aren't you forgetting something?"

"...Am I?"

"Your dress."

Raynare palmed her forehead. She'd forgotten something, alright.

"...Oh my God."

Kalawarner had completely anticipated that, of course. She'd been waiting for Issei to be gone so they could dress shop for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity.

"Get dressed. We're going shopping."

"I gotta make a phone call."

* * *

"Oh darling, I'm so happy you invited me! Nobody shops better, you'll see!"

Raynare and Kalawarner walked behind an enthusiastic Lisa Lisa, who, despite seeming very old, was remarkably quick on her feet.

"Have I met her? She seems really familiar…" Kalawarner whispered. Raynare shook her head. She'd briefly explained to the bluenette who Lisa Lisa was before they went out to meet her, but she didn't see a reason why Kalawarner would know who she is.

It was still fairly early in the morning, by Raynare and Kalawarner's standards; that is to say, around eleven. The two angels were with Lisa Lisa, walking down a sidewalk in Kuoh's hottest (read: most expensive) shopping district. Raynare had invited the excitable doctor thinking that she'd know the best places to dress shop, and she absolutely did.

The first place she brought the pair to, the _Lady in White,_ was extravagant, to say the least. Lisa Lisa was well aware Raynare and Issei weren't exactly aching for money, so she didn't feel sorry in the slightest for bringing the girl to a more ritzy shop.

Less than thirty seconds after entering the bridal store, they were approached by a sleazy looking salesman in a slick black three-piece suit. He was flanked on either side by a slightly smaller, slightly sleazer looking man, one with brown hair and one with blonde.

Their appearances really don't matter, as it was a wasted trip.

Raynare spent thirty seconds in the showroom before deciding she hated everything they had on display, no exceptions. It was all so...white? Raynare wasn't a fan.

Not because of any emotional reason like being a former pure white Angel, but from a purely aesthetic one. It was _almost_ her least favorite color, with green taking the top spot.

Lisa Lisa had sensed her disdain within moments, ushering the two back out of the store and giving the salesmen some line about coming into the wrong building. After they were back out on the street, she was quick to reassure.

"No worries dear, I've got a couple more places in mind. That was just to get an accurate measurement on what you like, hm? No pun intended, just a happy coincidence. Honestly, I figured you wouldn't like anything in there- too frilly, too bright, too...insincere, for lack of a better word?"

"I...guess? I don't like white, and they were all pretty frilly, now that you mention it." Raynare offered, offput once again by Lisa Lisa's mile-a-minute demeanor. She hadn't spoken to the woman in quite some time, and it was always a refreshing experience.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you broke the speed limit getting us out of there." Kalawarner remarked dryly. She had always been mildly annoyed by Raynare's shopping habits. The Angel formerly known as Rachiel was a quick shopper in every sense of the phrase, and she could always walk into a room and tell exactly what she'd be taking out of it.

Kalawarner, on the other hand, liked to browse.

As you can see, this creates problems.

* * *

 _ **An hour later**_

* * *

"Well this had gotten us nowhere." Raynare said, disappointed in the lack of options that she actually liked. Which is to say, zero.

"We've been to every bridal store in Kuoh!" Kalawarner said, exasperated. "There's nothing left for you to look at!"

"I didn't like any of them, bite me. They're all so boring."

Say what you will about Raynare, but if there's one thing she's not, it's boring.

"No, you're right. None of those would've been any good for you." Lisa Lisa was also a little miffed by the lack of suitable dresses for her favorite bride-to-be, and it was written all over her face. "Tell you what. Darling?"

Lisa Lisa took Raynare's hands in hers, and looked the angel in the eyes. "Issei took you to Shangri-La, yes? Did he ever introduce you to Abdalla?" Raynare, having almost forgotten that interaction entirely, nodded. She was so taken aback that she didn't even stop to question how Lisa Lisa knew about what was arguably the most secretive spot in Kuoh.

"Yeah. The guy from Africa, right?"

Lisa Lisa hummed in agreement, before leading Raynare down a street without a moment's hesitation. "Mmm. He's a wonderful man, and a _superb_ tailor. Why don't we go visit him, and we'll see if he can't cook something up, hm?"

* * *

Lisa Lisa brought the two to a tucked away little building right at the edge of town, in the shadow of a much larger office building and next to a little restaurant. The building she led them to was two stories high, with an exterior staircase- it looked run down at the best of times, and downright bad at worst.

"Are you sure this is the place? I thought Abdalla was rich." Raynare said, uneasy.

"Oh, he is. Many times wealthier than you or I, I'd say. But he doesn't care for extravagance, except for when it comes to clothes. You'll see."

Lisa Lisa excitedly jumped up the rickety wooden staircase, Raynare and Kalawarner in tow. The two of them shared a wary look, ready to act if Lisa Lisa got them into some kind of trouble.

Without a second thought, she pounded heavily on the fiberwood door, and was swiftly answered.

Sure enough, it was Abdalla, in strikingly unique red and blue robes. Behind him, was a room full of different fabrics- silks, linens, anything you can think of in every color under the sun.

"Ah, my dearest friend! Teresa, how have you been?" Abdalla said, laughing and hugging the much smaller woman.

"If I was any better I couldn't stand it! But, take a look at this fine young woman. I believe you've already met." Lisa Lisa said, gesturing to Raynare. The angel moved up from her place several steps back, and waved to Abdalla.

"Ah, of course! You're the young Hyoudou's lady, if memory serves. I don't believe we were ever introduced. My name is Abdalla."

Abdalla stepped forward, bowing in Japanese custom. Raynare half-heartedly returned the bow, not really one for such traditions.

"Yuuma Amano. And, not just lady. Fiance." Raynare corrected, pointing at her ring.

"F...Fian...ha! Ha ha!" Abdalla, with a massive hearty chuckle, grabbed Lisa Lisa's hands and began to dance around the room with her, shouting happily. Lisa Lisa kept up remarkably well, and seemed to be just as energetic as he was.

"Are...we missing something?" Kalawarner whispered.

Raynare shrugged.

Calming down, Abdalla returned to his place in front of them. "Ah, forgive me. I'm just very happy for the young man, truly. So, how may I help you, treasured friends?"

"Yuuma needs a dress. Something truly special, to suit the occasion." Lisa Lisa said, leading Raynare inside.

"Ah~! I'm honored you thought of me! Come, come. Describe what you would like." Abdalla gestured to an empty seat amidst all the clutter of fabrics and supplies, and Raynare sat down. Kalawarner and Lisa Lisa stood near her, and Abdalla ran to go fetch something from another room. He returned moments later with a notepad.

"Uh...black, I guess? With some silver." Raynare said, not really knowing what exactly she wanted.

"Indeed. Hmm...what kind of look are you going for?" Abdalla scribbled furiously on his notepad, even though Raynare had only given him the bare minimum to work with.

"Angelic." Raynare said, in some small part hoping the man would look at her like she was crazy. She imagined he didn't get many requests for a black angelic dress, so she anticipated him being stumped, but that was not the case.

"Angelic, of course! Splendid. I can see it now." Abdalla scribbled and erased and scribbled some more. Lisa Lisa had a knowing smile, but Kalawarner and Raynare looked at each other with a little bit of unease. "Ah..look down a bit, would you?" Abdalla asked, momentarily stopping his work on the notepad.

Raynare heeded his instruction, lowering her chin. Abdalla hummed excitedly, and Raynare lifted it back up.

"Done! Tell me what you think!" Abdalla said, and turned the notebook around for Lisa Lisa and Kalawarner to see.

"...Wow." Kalawarner breathed.

"Oh-ho-ho, that's magnificent! You've outdone yourself again, Abdalla!"

"Hey, I wanna see-" Raynare said, getting up and walking towards them.

"But of course." Abdalla said, and showed her the picture in the notebook.

It was one of her, in a custom-made dress of his design.

Raynare smirked. "...Oh yeah. That'll work."

* * *

 **Drawing ever closer to the wedding/baby! Still taking ideas for pretty much anything, so don't be afraid to speak up. I don't have much to say, if you have a question, PM me.**

 **Side note- I've been responding to some reviews on my other stories with PMs lately- do you guys care if I respond? If so, should I just answer reviews on the AN of the next chapter? Maybe it'd be easier than juggling 40 PMs at a time, maybe not. Anyway, I'm done. Don't forget to review!**

 **See you next mission!**


	25. Peace through war

**WHOOOOOO 9.5K WORDS BEFORE AN!**

 **I have been up for 24 hours. This was painful. But, _I_ think it's a good chapter. It's not going to go how a lot of you think it will...but I think it turned out better. Anyway, go ahead and read it and I'll say more at the bottom.**

* * *

"Why are you so nervous?"

Raynare stood beside Issei, holding his left hand and wondering why he'd become so clammy all of a sudden.

"Well, Vali is going to be here, right? What if he tries to start something…?"

Raynare wanted to assure Issei that Vali wouldn't try to fight him, but she wasn't so sure. The White One was a battle maniac through and through, and would only restrain himself if he foresaw a better fight coming because of it. Really, she was no small part nervous herself.

"Oh, he's definitely gonna try to start something. Then, we'll fight him together."

Instead, she reminded him that even _if_ Vali tried to attack, they weren't exactly slouches. Together, they could more than likely push him back.

"...Right."

Of course, the thought of Raynare fighting Vali with their kid in her made Issei's skin crawl, but she most certainly wasn't one to be sidelined while he fought on her account. Even the mere suggestion was likely to get him a pissed look. Regardless of her feelings about the subject, he was worried for his child- the power released from his Balance Breaker at full force would incinerate a weaker life-form, but would it hurt Raynare? The baby? He didn't know, and frankly, never wanted to find out.

The two of them were at Kuoh Academy, in a large room prepared specifically for the event- which is to say, the Three Faction Peace Summit. They were among the first to arrive, right beside Rias and her peerage. Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan sat at the table, preparing themselves. No one else had shown up, yet.

"Ugh…" Matsuda groaned, standing beside Akeno and Asia and rubbing his bald head ferociously in anxiousness. "I hate waiting around, let's get this show on the road!"

"Couldn't agree more, kiddo." Azazel announced his arrival by agreeing with the low class devil, teleporting in right by Issei. The Devil Kings stood in warm greeting as he appeared, and Issei gave the man a firm handshake.

"Azazel. Welcome." Sirzechs said, smiling.

"Sirzechs, good to see you. You too, Serafall." Azazel waved to the two Royal Devils as they stood to welcome him, and he soon took his place on Sirzechs' left at the large round table.

"Issei," Azazel said before truly giving his attention to the meeting, "Vali will be here soon. Be on your guard." With that ominous sentence, he turned fully to the preparations for the Summit.

The warning had multiple meanings. Watch out for Vali trying to attack, sure- but also that Vali was no longer under the control of Azazel, and that no one really knew what the wildcard white dragon would do.

The only people left to arrive were Vali, the Archangel Michael, and, if rumors were to be believed- the new God.

Issei really had no idea what to expect. He'd only ever asked Raynare about God himself once, more out of sheer curiosity than anything else.

" _He was...magnificent. There's no human word that's enough to really describe God. As much as I resent him for what he did to me...he was amazing."_

That didn't really give him much to go off of, not really, but it gave him the sort of impression that nothing he could think of would ever come close to what would really happen.

A couple minutes passed. Vali wasn't really guaranteed to show up- he wasn't really strictly aligned to any one faction, so it wasn't certain that he'd come to the peace meeting- but everyone was wondering about where Michael was. The angel hated to be late, and while the meeting did have about ten minutes before it was to officially start, Azazel had said that he loved punctuality so much he might actually get there before everyone else.

And then the door opened once more. Every soul in the room turned to look, but only one voiced their confusion.

"Lisa Lisa?" Issei stared unashamedly at the old woman, his mouth agape in both worry and surprise.

"Oh, hello Issei darling. And Raynare, good to see you both! How are my two favorite kids?" Lisa Lisa asked, approaching the two with all the speed the excitable old woman could muster.

"What are you doing here? And what are you wearing...?" Issei asked, extremely worried for her safety. He didn't know much about the Devil Kings, but he wasn't sure how they'd react to a random old woman walking in on their meeting.

The woman was dressed in a faded white sari with a blue border- not clothes he or Raynare had seen her wear before. Somewhere else in his mind, he subconsciously recognized her robes, but didn't think of that at the moment.

"Friend of yours, kiddo?" Azazel asked Issei, warily eyeing the elderly doctor.

"Why, Chief of the Watchers, you don't recognize me?" Lisa Lisa asked with an audible grin, turning to the Governor General.

"Should I?" Azazel now knew something was amiss. He hadn't been referred to as his title in a millenia, and never by someone who wasn't related to Heaven.

"Haha! I suppose not, hm? Maybe this'll jog your memory."

Lisa Lisa laughed and spread her arms, and it was like someone put the Sun in the middle of the room.

The purest, brightest, holiest light anyone there had ever seen radiated in waves off from Lisa Lisa, bathing the room and everyone in it in a warm glow. Issei's skin felt amazing wherever the gorgeous rays touched it, and he felt an overwhelming urge to fall to the ground in praise. Everyone present was affected by the light, and while the devils all prepared defenses in anticipation of pain, they too found only bliss in the shining.

After what felt like an eternity but was in reality only a couple seconds, the light diminished and faded, soon disappearing entirely.

Issei slowly opened his eyes, and what stood before him shocked him to the bone.

Lisa Lisa stood with two radiant wings of pure light, a beautiful scepter in her left hand and an immaculate halo above her head. Her modest robes shone bright with renewed grace, and a golden sash crossed her torso. Behind her was Michael the Archangel, kneeling on the ground in reverence.

Nobody could talk.

What would they say?

What _could_ they say?

Issei realized this was what Raynare had meant.

There truly _wasn't_ any words in any language that could describe the beauty and power of the Almighty God.

"Come now, my children." Her voice was like that of flowing water; graceful, yet steadfast and clear. "Do not be afraid." Lisa Lisa smiled, and her face projected pure serenity.

Issei, once the quietest person in the room, was the first to speak.

"Lisa Lisa, are you...are you the new God?"

He found it difficult to merely speak, but at the same time, he fought the urge to raise his voice in song and praise.

"Mmm, indeed. In life I was known as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, but you will know me better as Mother Teresa, Saint of the Gutters. I was chosen to ascend to the throne of Heaven by the Lord our God, and so I have."

Issei didn't really know where to go from that- his mind was too busy reeling. The woman who'd taken Raynare dress shopping, who'd given them an apartment, who'd healed him after the time with Matsuda...had been God?

Raynare wasn't faring much better. Less than a week ago, she'd been out shopping with the God of Heaven? Ages ago, when she'd very first started entertaining the idea of keeping Issei alive, the one who'd given her advice on the drive to his house- was _God?_

The God who cast her from Heaven, the God who took her beautiful white wings and her title as Rachiel?

Then she stopped. No, not that God, Raynare reminded herself. That God was dead. This is Lisa Lisa, the woman who ultimately set her on the path to truly loving Issei and gave them everything necessary for their relationship to thrive. Which meant, if this was God, if this was the new person running the system of Heaven-

Lisa Lisa was the one who bestowed upon her the Silver Wings of a Risen Angel. Lisa Lisa is the one that forgave her.

No, even further back than that- Lisa Lisa had every opportunity to kill Raynare so she wouldn't harm Issei, but never for a second did she do anything but encourage.

Raynare now realized- she owed everything to Lisa Lisa, to the New God.

She could do nothing but stare.

Xenovia and Asia were at the verge of tears. Having God's death revealed to them had nearly broken the spirits of the two believers, and to see not only was God not dead, she was an ascended saint- it was moving to say the least.

"I hope you all don't mind, I brought a couple of angels." Lisa Lisa gestured to Michael, who rose from his kneeling position on the floor, and another two angels who stood behind her on the other side.

Because of the angle they were at, Issei hadn't been able to see the other angels, but as they stood up he saw them clearly. One was Irina, but he didn't really care too much about that. The other, however-

"Mom?!"

-was Doctor Elsa Hyoudou, in the flesh. She wore a flowing golden robe and a crown of white flowers, and had two beautiful white wings on her back. She looked just as she had in Issei's dream of her, and on some level he realized that it probably hadn't been a dream after all.

"Hi, darling." Elsa waved, barely able to hide her elation at seeing her son again.

Issei was much the same. His every impulse was to shoot across the room and throw her into a hug, but he figured that might not be the right thing to do right now. He resolved to do it after the meeting, when there were less people around.

Unexpectedly, the door opened once more, and Issei instantly recognized Vali Lucifer based off Raynare's description of him. He looked exactly as she'd described- a typical bad boy douche, chain on his pants and all. His hair gave him away as the White One, and Issei briefly felt relieved that he didn't have red hair on account of being the Red Dragon.

"Yo." Vali said, waving at Issei with a smirk. He didn't acknowledge anyone else in the room, simply stood against the wall opposite the Red Dragon Emperor.

"Well, if we're all here, then are we ready to begin?" Sirzechs asked, himself a little shocked that Mother Teresa herself had ascended to the Throne of God.

Every present agreed, and the faction leaders took their places at the negotiating table. Lisa Lisa's appearance diminished back into that of a humble nun, leaving her in the same unassuming state she'd been in when she entered.

Issei stood back against the wall, beside Raynare and Rias' peerage. He could feel Vali staring a hole into him from across the room.

[I can feel it; balance breaker or not, Vali's strength outmatches your own. Be on your guard.]

Ddraig's mental warning was unnecessary. Issei was well aware of their gap in strength, and hoped that if it came down to a battle that his trump card would settle the difference.

Issei was so lost in his thoughts that he barely kept up with the actual semantics of the meeting. Accusations were tossed this way and that way about Kokabiel, even though Vali ended up handling everything. Freed got brought up momentarily, but only as a footnote to Valper's scheming with the Excalibur fragments.

Rias gave a report, Sona showed up to give a witness' account, there were some more legal theatrics between the Devils and Fallen. It all went way over Issei's head, as he was focused solely on Vali. His grip on Raynare's hand was firm, almost as if the moment he loosened it Vali would fly across the room to attack.

Matsuda said something to Michael and Lisa Lisa, sparking a conversation between the three of them as well as Xenovia and Asia and Irina.

After a while, Issei was broken out of his inattention by a comically loud sigh from Azazel.

"Let's just hurry up and make peace already! Isn't that what this summit is for, anyway?" He asked, lazily leaning on his arm.

Lisa Lisa chuckled, but Sirzechs and Serafall Leviathan didn't look quite so amused.

"I couldn't agree more, darling. Peace is all Heaven wants." Lisa Lisa remarked, nodding.

"The Devils are the same." Sirzechs replied.

"Then the problem lies with the two outside our factions- the ones with the power to change the world, all on their own. The Twin Sky Dragons. I think we should hear what they have to say." Azazel gestured to the two Dragons, giving them the stage.

"I just want to be able to fight strong opponents." Vali commented dryly, his smirk widening.

"You can do that without a war, can't you?" Azazel asked, a humored grin on his face.

"True enough." Vali's grim laugh was more than enough to set Issei on edge.

Lisa Lisa herself was a little aggravated at the comment. Being the paragon of peace and harmony, she would never understand the White One's fascination with battle.

"Well, that's one. Issei, what do you think?" Azazel turned to his nephew, and everyone else followed suit.

Issei could feel the eyes of everyone there he cared about- Lisa Lisa, Azazel, his mother, Raynare- all waiting for him to declare his position. He answered without hesitation.

"I want nothing more than to be able to start a family without worry. A war, or _fighting strong opponents_ , would be bad for that. If peace between the three factions will guarantee a untroublesome life for my house- then that's exactly what I want."

Everyone present was pleased by his answer, most of all Raynare and Elsa. Lisa Lisa and Azazel expected nothing less, both nodding in approval. Vali grinned even wider.

"Then, are we all in agreement? Peace for the three factions?" Azazel asked an open question. The atmosphere of the room, while mostly peaceful, seemed to have an underlying charge to it- like Azazel was inviting challenge by asking that question.

"It would seem so." Sirzechs said, glancing around.

"Then so it shall be." Lisa Lisa said, smiling brightly.

As if on cue, something went horribly wrong.

Issei didn't know what happened at first. It felt like he turned upside down and back again all in the space of a millisecond, and he nearly staggered out of sheer dizziness. His grip on Raynare's hand kept him upright, and as he looked to her he saw that she too was feeling odd. The both of them glanced around the room, and it became massively obvious that something bad had happened.

Several of the people present were simply frozen solid, but not in ice or anything of the sort- a purple glow surrounded them, and they were entirely unmoving. The only other people unaffected were the faction leaders and Vali, as well as Elsa, Xenovia, Kiba, Irina, Matsuda, and Rias.

"Oh, phooey. We were this close." Lisa Lisa said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"What happened?" Sirzechs asked, taking stock of who was still available.

"Someone's playing with time," Lisa Lisa replied. "How very dangerous."

Outside, the sky was tinged purple over a massive orange barrier covering the school grounds. People in odd black robes poured from the top of the barrier, floating on magic circles and firing strange lasers towards the Summit. All the standing troops brought for defense by each faction were quickly hit with the beams, having been frozen by whatever stopped everyone else. At first, Issei thought they were being killed, but an offhand comment from Serafall eased his worries.

"Magicians. Wait...teleport magic? They're moving all our soldiers outside the barrier." Serafall spoke to Sirzechs, but everyone could hear.

"It must be the half-vampire." Azazel said, looking at Rias. She nodded, agreeing. Sirzechs hummed, realizing what happened.

"Gasper?" Matsuda asked, realization crossing his face.

"Uh, what? Vampires are real too...?" Issei asked Raynare quietly, not having any knowledge of something like that. Raynare just nodded, mostly focusing on what was going on.

"It would seem that the stronger of us were protected from his ability, as well as those with powerful artifacts or sacred gears." Sirzechs commented. True to his word, the ones who weren't faction leaders or currently frozen all had something on them. Matsuda's hands were shrouded in the inky darkness of his Longinus, Issei's gauntlet had appeared, Kiba and Xenovia had holy swords drawn, and Irina and Elsa both had Excalibur fragments out.

Issei had to do a double take when he saw his mother holding Excalibur Rapidly. He'd never in his life expected to see his mother _alive_ again, much less as a blade-wielding angel badass.

"So what's going on, exactly?" Issei asked. Mentions of a half-vampire were being thrown around, but he had no idea what that meant.

"A member of my peerage is able to stop time within his field of view. These terrorists must be causing Balance Breaker conditions, for him to be able to affect this much at one time." Rias answered, worry and anger written all over her.

"So why are we able to move?" Raynare asked, talking to Rias. They had neither high-tier power like the leaders nor any special artifacts, yet were still unfrozen.

"You were protected by their longinus, just like they were. Count yourselves lucky, I guess." Azazel interjected. It was true- Rias had been touching Matsuda's arm, and obviously Raynare and Issei were holding hands.

"I was under the impression there was a barrier around us to stop this kind of thing." Issei was trying to piece together what was going on, to determine the best course of action he could take.

"There was. Somebody opened it to teleportation- from the inside." Azazel remarked dryly. No trace of his good humor from before was left.

"So there's a rat." Matsuda said darkly, looking suspiciously at Vali. The White Dragon didn't even acknowledge the gaze.

"Sirzechs." Rias addressed her brother formally.

"Hm?" He hummed in response, his mind racing.

"There's an unused rook in the basement of the old school building."

"A rook? Ah, I see. Castling." Sirzechs nodded.

"Castling?" Matsuda asked, not understanding.

"A chess maneuver. You can switch the places of a rook and king." Kiba explained shortly, grasping Rias' plan. "She's going to try and save Gasper, whose sacred gear is currently being exploited by the enemy." He explained further, addressing Issei and Raynare, who had absolutely no clue what she was talking about.

"Even with my power, I can only send you and one other." Sirzechs said, looking Rias in the eyes.

"I'll go," Matsuda offered with hesitation.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just obliterate the vampire along with the terrorists?" Vali remarked, only half-sarcastic. "If you want, I can do it for you."

"Vali. Have a little tact, would you? We're trying to make peace." Azazel reprimanded the White One, who chuckled dryly in response.

"Sorry. It's just not in my nature to sit around and do nothing."

"Then, why don't you go introduce yourself? If you're bored, I mean."

"Not a bad idea."

Vali launched himself from a window, summoning his sacred gear mid-flight. He rose up into the midst of the hundreds of enemy magicians, and came to a sudden stop.

 **(Vanishing Dragon- Balance Breaker!)** In a fraction of a second, a flash of incredibly bright light exuded from Vali, and he was left wrapped in white Scale Mail, exactly like the Red Dragon's Balance Breaker.

"So he's unlocked that power too, huh?" Issei asked, his hopes dashed. Realistically, he knew that _of course_ Vali would be able to freely use Balance Breaker like himself, but he had been holding out hope that the White One wasn't as far along in his sacred gear's progression. Unfortunately, that display of power removed all traces of doubt from Issei's mind.

In a massive show of force, Vali let slip a maelstrom of chain-lightning, jumping from one magician to the next and mercilessly destroying those who were hit. Every spell they sent in retaliation was simply blocked without a second thought, the armor of the Dragon protecting him effortlessly.

"Pride is a deadly sin, Vali." Lisa Lisa mumbled, too quiet enough for anyone who wasn't near her to pick up.

Raynare and Issei watched as Rias and Matsuda stepped into a magic circle created by Sirzechs. Azazel handed the bald boy something, and the two were teleported away. A mundane white Rook dropped to the ground in their place.

"Once those two free Gasper, we can begin the counterattack." Sirzechs said as he picked up the rook, examining it closely.

"Zechs." Serafall spoke urgently as an orange magic circle appeared in a corner of the room. Everyone turned to face it, and a devil woman wearing a low-cut purple dress stepped out.

"A friend?" Issei asked.

"Not even close," Raynare answered. They both turned to fully face the woman, ready for anything.

"Good day, Devil Kings Sirzechs and Serafall." The woman said, in a voice dripping with malice.

"Katerea Leviathan, descendant of the first Leviathan. Why are you here?" Michael asked, stepping protectively in front of Lisa Lisa and the other angels.

Katerea held her staff high in the air. "To spread destruction and chaos, of course."

Faster than anyone could react, her staff exploded.

The blast destroyed the main building of Kuoh school, leaving only the bottom level and about half of the second not reduced to ashes.

Above the ruins floated a sphere of yellow light, inside of which was everyone present in the Faction Summit, shielded from the damage by a powerful barrier maintained by all the strongest people there.

Issei, clad in his Scale Mail, released his full-body hold on Raynare. The moment he'd seen Katerea about to blow, he'd instinctively shielded his fiance with himself. Once he saw that they were safe, he let go, dispersing his armor. In return for the selfless-though-unnecessary action, Raynare kissed his cheek, earning an eyebrows-raised look from Elsa in the process.

"For the leaders of the three factions to put up a barrier together...what a disgrace!" Katerea, now on the ground outside, laughed maliciously as the sphere flew down.

"What are you trying to do, Katerea?" Sirzechs asked once they hit the ground. His right hand was held up palm-out, partially maintaining the barrier.

"The opposite of you. Now that God and the Devil King are dead, there should be a revolution in this world." Katerea said matter-of-factly.

"Why are you doing this, Katerea?!" Serafall yelled in anguish.

Katerea looked pissed that she'd even been addressed by the Devil King. "Serafall, you sure are slacking after stealing my title. Don't worry. After I kill you here now, I'll reclaim the name of Leviathan for myself.

"Oh man, and here I was thinking we got caught up in a devil's coup d'état." Azazel remarked, stroking his chin.

"Is that not what this is…?" Issei mumbled, a little lost. Raynare shrugged. All she was waiting for, really, was the time to burst out of the barrier and start destroying magicians. After all, they threatened peace, which put her and Issei's lives at stake- as well as their childs'. She wasn't happy.

"But it sounds like you want to take over it all, the whole world." Michael said, his voice stalwart and unflinching.

"That's right, Michael! We want to build a world where nobody cares about God or the Devil's deaths. We'll take this decayed world and reform it ourselves!"

Azazel laughed. "How boring. The villain who says things like that is always the first to die." He stepped forwards, preparing to fight her himself.

Lisa Lisa stopped him.

"So, because God and the Devil Kings are dead, you think you deserve to rule?" The old woman asked slowly, her normal upbeat tone replaced with one of grim seriousness.

"Of course. The descendants of the Devils naturally deserve to rule over what they conquered."

"Then if God was still around? What would you and your terrorist friends do then?" Lisa Lisa pressed on, no one around her saying a word.

"Just who are you to talk to me, anyway? We'd kill him, obviously. Idiotic hag." Katerea was losing her patience, and it showed.

"Then I believe your quarrel is with me."

Lisa Lisa slowly walked forwards, using her scepter as a cane. The barrier in front of her parted without hesitation, even though none of the people casting it had made it do that.

"What…? An old woman, challenging me? Are you stupid? Who is this, Sirzechs?" Katerea spat as Lisa Lisa lazily walked forwards, the old woman's head shrouded by her cowl.

"That's for you to find out, Katerea." Sirzechs replied, warily watching the new God.

"This'll be something…" Azazel remarked, now solemn. He and Raynare looked apprehensive. The true power of the biblical God was something truly indescribable- of those present, only they and Michael had felt it first-hand, and they all looked a bit worried.

"You have one chance, darling. Everyone deserves at least one." Lisa Lisa stopped just ten feet in front of the terrorist, looking her dead in the eyes.

"A chance? A chance to what, surrender?" Katerea began to laugh uncontrollably. Lisa Lisa didn't react. "As if!"

"A chance to be better. The Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. She will not turn her face from you if you return to her." Lisa Lisa dropped the scepter and held her hands out, palms up, seemingly wanting Katerea to come to her.

Katerea laughed once more. "What, are you saying _you're_ God? He's dead! And, because I'm tired of your nonsense- you're next!" The descendant of Leviathan blitz-rushed Lisa Lisa, hands raised with offensive magic ready.

Without moving an inch, Lisa Lisa lowered her left hand and raised her right, almost in a half-prayer stance.

" **Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."**

God spoke.

Katerea was disintegrated.

It happened entirely without spectacle.

There was no flash-and-thunder, no magic circles, no overwhelming presence. It was just...wholesale erasure, leaving almost nothing behind.

"A snake." Lisa Lisa said, as if that explained everything.

The only thing remaining was a blake snake, in the shape of infinity, writhing on the ground with its own tail in its mouth. Lisa Lisa waved her hand over it, and it disappeared.

"That would certainly explain her audacity to attack all the faction leaders at once- I was wondering where she grew the extra balls. Now we know." Azazel laughed- no one else looked amused.

Issei was still a little awestruck at the laughably easy battle against what was apparently a pretty decent threat- up until a couple hours ago, he'd thought no more of Lisa Lisa than that she was a nice old woman, if a little eccentric. Now she'd just obliterated a descendant of the Devil King Leviathan, without so much as breaking a sweat.

He was reeling, to say the least. The snake was honestly the last thing on his mind.

After destroying it, Lisa Lisa walked back to the barrier, the magic easily parting for her to re-enter.

"Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God. The Dragon even my predecessor feared. I should've expected as much- to be able to corral such a dangerous group together as the Chaos Brigade, it would've had to be someone immensely powerful." God shook her head and sighed. "I had hoped it was merely a group of malcontents...were it so easy."

"The Chaos Brigade? Did I miss something?" Issei asked an open question. Even Raynare knew nothing about such a group, so she stayed silent. She'd gotten pretty good at staying silent- a vast majority of the people there were people she either was uncomfortable with or downright hated, so she didn't say much.

"The Chaos Brigade is a relatively new group of terrorists, formed with unknown goals in mind. They're the ones who Freed got the drug from to spike your friend, but I couldn't tell you that at the time. Sorry." Azazel rubbed the back of his head as he spoke, and Issei couldn't really tell if he was sorry or not- not that it really mattered.

"Putting that aside for now, until Rias gets back with Gasper, we need to worry about destroying the Gate, or at least stopping the flow." Sirzechs pointed up in the sky, to the massive orange magic circle where magicians were constantly entering the barrier field, even with Vali thinning them out.

"Michael?" Lisa Lisa asked.

"I'm already on it, your grace."

In the chief archangels' hands was a complex and shifting series of silver magic circles, rotating around like a gyroscope. He was peering deeply into it, seemingly trying to decipher the circles themselves.

"Good. You just need to buy him some time, and he'll have the gate closed." Lisa Lisa said to Sirzechs.

First a nod, then he replied, "What will you do?"

"Nothing more than what I've done already. I am God of peace and benevolence, not battle- I'll not lift a single finger against these human magicians, misguided though they may be. My angels will handle anything more from our side." Lisa Lisa spoke in a manner that defied argument in every way, and though Issei didn't really understand the logic in totally vaporizing a Devil and then claiming pacifism, he could _kind of_ see where she was coming from.

"Very well. Then we'll handle the rest." Sirzech said, understanding God not wanting to murder anyone else.

"We'll ward off enemy attack."

Issei looked to who was speaking. It was Kiba, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xenovia and Irina. They all had their respective swords drawn, and though he couldn't really remember the name of Xenovia's, and Irina's was just a fragment of Excalibur, Kiba's was just too cool to ever forget- the Sword of Betrayer. He'd been almost a bit jealous of the name, not that he had a sword to name himself.

"You three will?" Sirzechs asked, a little disbelieving.

"Not just them, don't worry. There may be another general on the field yet, so I'll head out alongside the youngsters." Azazel said, clapping Kiba on the back.

"I'll go as well. I can't very well allow a fellow angel to fight on her own, can I? Not to mention, I've got kids and grandkids in this barrier." Elsa spoke up for the first time since the start of the meeting, drawing her own Excalibur fragment once more.

Now, Issei almost tried to protest. His mom? Going out to fight magicians, hundreds of them, all shooting lasers? Hell no, he thought. Not while he had anything to say about it. But when he saw the glint in her eyes and the light reflecting off her legendary blade, he couldn't really talk her down. She offered him a wink, and nothing more. Not yet.

Without another word about it, the five of them stepped out of the barrier, the magic being parted by Lisa Lisa yet again, for them to easily pass through. Azazel shot straight up into the air, his twelve midnight wings flaring for all to see, and the other four charged straight into battle.

Issei had to restrain himself from jumping out alongside his mother. It was odd, seeing her in actual combat. She'd had martial artist as a hobby while she was alive as a human, so he'd seen her fight a handful of times- but never with her actual life on the line. What if one of these magicians stopped shooting teleporty-lasers and decided to scorch her wings off with a fireball? The mere thought made Issei's stomach churn, but he had to stay with Raynare, and their child. He wished she could just teleport home, but the barrier was preventing that.

Not that she'd ever just leave him and teleport home anyway.

"You settle down, darling. Steel your nerves. Your part in this is coming, I promise." Lisa Lisa, noticing his worry, tried to calm Issei. While her soothing voice worked wonders, her actual words only made him more anxious.

After a moment, there was another lurch, and the sky lost it's purple tint. The people who were frozen came back to reality, more than a little confused. Just seconds after, Rias and Matsuda came back into the barrier through a red magic circle. Matsuda had blood on his left hand, and a shadowy sword was dispersing in his right.

"Welcome back. Well done, you two." Sirzech congratulated them, and began to hand out orders to everyone who was now present.

"I've unraveled the gate." Michael spoke up, then raised both his hands up high and shot off a beam of blue light towards the orange gate. It glowed green briefly, then completely dispersed.

"Well, then. All that's left is to get rid of our visitors." Sirzechs said, watching the archangel work.

Issei wasn't listening. He was frantically searching the sky.

He hadn't heard a word any of them said, because he was looking.

Something was wrong, his gut told him- and Vali had disappeared from sight.

He was nowhere to be seen.

Then, a yell and a crash. Just next to the protective barrier, a crater was freshly-formed. Azazel climbed out of it, groaning.

"I must've lost my edge. Damn." The Fallen Angel said, pulling himself up and out of the hole. His left arm was entirely severed, up to the shoulder.

Issei's eyes went wide. Raynare's followed, not long after.

"Vali." Azazel said, resting his chin on the one remaining arm and looking up at the white one.

No wonder he'd been gone, Issei thought. He was turning traitor after all.

" **Sorry, Azazel. Things just looked more interesting on this side."** The White Dragon Emperor was hovering about thirty meters off the ground, Divine Dividing wings spread wide. He was clad in full scale mail still, a testament to how long he could hold his balance breaker.

"He was the traitor, after all." Issei said quietly, his suspicions confirmed.

Matsuda yelled. "You damn rat!"

"Well, Vali. There's just one thing I want to ask." Azazel lifted himself from the ground and flew back into the air, seemingly unphased by having lost an arm at some point during his duel with the White One. "Are you with the group calling themselves the Chaos Brigade, under the control of Ophis?"

" **Yes, that's correct. But Ophis and I didn't come together for world domination or anything cheap like that- we just came together to use our power, that's all."** Vali confirmed it- he was a traitor and a terrorist the whole time.

"I see. And here I was thinking you'd shacked up with Katerea Leviathan on account of you both being jilted Devil King descendants. My mistake." Azazel went on, never losing his grin.

"Devil King descendant?" Serafall questioned. This was the first she and the other devils had heard of something like that.

" **That's right. My name is Vali Lucifer. I am a descendant of the dead Devil King Lucifer, born to the grandson of the former King and a human."** Vali explained, looking down over everyone.

The devils all reacted with shock, but Issei and Raynare had known that, due to their connection with Azazel.

"A Lucifer Devil who's half human and able to be possessed by the Vanishing Dragon. You're written like a bad joke, Vali." Azazel laughed sarcastically.

" **Indeed, the word miracle was probably made to describe me."** Vali replied arrogantly, and unleashed twelve bat wings. Once again, everyone other than Lisa Lisa, Azazel, Issei, and Raynare reacted with shock.

Raynare had something entirely different on her mind, actually. "There goes that name, anyway. Damn, I liked Miracle." She cursed under her breath, almost making Issei laugh despite the situation.

"This guy will probably be the strongest White Dragon the world has ever known." Azazel said, not a shadow of doubt in his voice.

Issei grit his teeth. He didn't need anyone to tell him that. He knew. He knew, but he didn't believe.

He didn't believe would surpass him, because he couldn't allow that to happen.

Vali could never be the strongest, if Issei stopped him here.

" **Issei Hyoudou, wouldn't you say fate is cruel?"** Vali asked, addressing his so-called rival directly.

"No one crueler. So what?"

" **I am the strongest dragon, and I carry with me the blood of the devil king. But you...are just a lowly human. Before awakening your sacred gear you weren't even an impressive student in** _ **high school**_ **. That is to say, aside from the Boosted Gear, you are nothing."**

Issei was silent.

" **It's disappointing. It's so disappointing it's funny. Even though we are rival dragons- we are as far apart as the sky to the earth. No, even more than that."**

"You got a point, Vali?" Issei yelled, unable to respond otherwise. He couldn't think of anything to say back- everything Vali said was true.

" **I do. I think you should try harder. Maybe you should try being an avenger. That's your mom, right? I could kill her, if that would help."**

Issei ground his teeth. Raynare snarled.

" **If I take something as precious as your mother away, surely you would be able to act on that tragic fate? I'm sure any death I could give her would be more exciting than serving as a weak angel under a pathetic God. Yes, let's do that."**

"Are we gonna kill this guy or what?" Raynare asked, almost unable to hold herself together.

There wasn't any sarcasm in her voice.

It was a question, a real one.

And he definitely had an answer.

"Absolutely. Go high."

Raynare shot into the air in an instant, six silver wings flaring out. Above her head, she summoned a ball of incredibly bright light- a basic illumination spell, boosted by thousands of years of magic experience. Even Vali had to shield his eyes.

 **[Welsh Dragon, Overbooster!]**

Power overwhelming burst forth from Issei, along with a massive outburst of flames to boot. He jet into the air just under Raynare, and her wings being between the light and him cast a huge shadow over the Red Dragon Emperor.

Without warning, Issei completely disappeared from sight, disorienting their opponent as he searched for the invisible dragon..

Raynare, who was still completely visible, flew forward, going directly over Vali. He Looked up at her, preparing to defend from an attack.

He never got the chance.

As he looked up, a massively powerful red armored fist slammed into the underside of his jaw, sending him reeling horizontally. Raynare took the opportunity and flung the light-orb downwards at Vali, hitting him square in the chest. He screamed out as the light-magic burnt his devil flesh even through his armor, and he barely had enough time to fling the orb away before Issei was on him again.

" **Wanna know something about me Vali?!"**

Issei, now visible, was holding a bright silver dagger and seemed to flicker in and out of sight, making it impossible to even almost predict his attacks. Before Vali could recover from the light-magic, Issei shot forward with the dagger.

 **[Transfer!]**

" **I can't fucking stand bullies!"**

Issei lunged with the dagger into a chink of Vali's armor, right into the right side of the Devil's waist. He was only able to land a slice rather than a stab, but with the transferred power- it was enough. He pulled the dagger back and kicked Vali downward, sending him feet-first onto to the ground.

The dagger was the one from so long ago, the gift from his mother. Carnwennen, the dagger of King Arthur himself- a holy blade. No devil, not even a Lucifer, could withstand it.

Pieces of his armor falling away, Vali fell to his knees, unable to stand. It wasn't the pain- he was far beyond something so trivial as pain. No, it was actually that the boosted holy power of the dagger was literally melting his joints and ligaments to a point where he found it impossible to put any weight on his right leg at all without crumpling.

At this point, a merciful opponent may have stopped, and allowed Vali a chance to leave or surrender. After such a flawlessly executed and undeniably brutal combo-attack, one might think he'd had enough- but such was not the case for Issei and Raynare.

But, they both knew- with someone like Vali, if you gave him an inch, he'd take a yard.

So, they kept coming.

Issei shot downwards, aiming to punch his opponent into the concrete. Vali managed to propel himself upwards just fast enough to not be hit, but he made an oversight- Raynare was above Issei, an attack waiting.

Raynare sent a volley of light spears down towards Vali. These, he was able to dodge, and was also able to dodge Issei coming back up from the ground in a savage uppercut.

Unfortunately for Issei, he managed to land a touch on the Red One's armor.

 **(Divide!)**

Issei lurched in midair, half his immense and constantly-boosting power being immediately removed. It made him stagger, but didn't interrupt his flight enough to send him crashing.

It only allowed Vali time to get away. He shot away as fast as he could, expending Issei's stolen power to do so. The rest, he vented through his blue wings, sending off a bright shower of red motes.

Buying himself some time, the Devil tried to understand what was going on. This should've been _easy!_ Issei was just a _human_ , one who had _barely reached Balance Breaker!_

But Vali himself had almost been disabled with just one attack, and only narrowly managed to avoid the second.

(Vali, they're overwhelming you. That leg is useless for now, and I can't fix it.)

"This shouldn't be possible. He's weaker than me...just a human."

(The Red One and the Angel have synergy that you cannot match alone, and he has unknown Holy artifacts. If you take another hit from that dagger, I'm not certain I can protect you again.)

"Fine...then I won't get hit again."

As Vali resolved himself to keep fighting, Issei and Raynare saw what he'd done.

"He's letting off excess power through his wings." Issei said.

"...If you can overload them, he'll be weak as hell for a moment." Raynare replied.

"Can you do it in that short a time?"

"Absolutely."

Understanding each other just fine, Raynare and Issei rapidly approached Vali once more, before coming to a halt just in front of him.

" **I'll give you once chance, Vali. If you swear to never try to harm anyone close to me ever again, we'll let you live. If not...you'll die on the next attack."** Issei spoke with a voice that didn't offer any argument. It was so authoritative, it almost made Vali laugh.

" **If you really think you can kill me, then try it!"** Vali was ready, this time.

Doing just that, Issei came forward with a fury unmatched, seemingly aiming to just pound Vali into dust. The two traded blow after blow, neither really getting the upper hand or landing any solid hits, until Raynare came in.

Flying in from behind Issei, he flung Carnwennen to Raynare between fisticuffs, then managed to tightly grab both of Vali's wrists.

" **Get off of me!"**

 **(Divide!)**

" **You aren't going anywhere!"**

 **[Boost!] [Transfer!]**

" **Again!"**

 **[Boost!] [Transfer!]**

 **(He's overloading the system! It's going to force a restart!)**

" **I can take it!"**

 **(VALI, MOVE!)**

Vali's armor fell away in an instant, unable to contain the massive influx of power Issei was sending in. It dropped the centerpiece of the chestplate, a massive blue orb, onto the ground far below.

In that single instant, in the mere split seconds it took between Vali's balance breaker falling away and coming back- Raynare struck with Carnwennen, landing a direct hit on his right wrist.

It sliced clean through, like a hot knife through butter.

Vali's right hand fell away, completely detached, and he screamed in pure agony. Issei, unrelenting, flipped him by his remaining arm and flung him all the way down to the ground, smashing him into the concrete hard enough to make a crater. His concentration ruined by the severing of his hand, he wasn't able to form armor or even a magic defense in time to stop the impact.

Vali felt bones break, but was unable to even twitch before Issei slammed down onto his torso feet-first, shattering his sternum.

" **You are** _ **done**_ **."** Issei bent over and growled into Vali's face, considering just snapping his neck then and there, just to be done with it.

Vali couldn't do anything but groan.

Raynare landed deftly beside the two, sheathing her six silver wings.

Issei wasn't joking around. He never had been. The intent was to kill Vali, consequences be damned- and even now, it took everything he had not to just crush his whole neck. He had the power. He had the raw strength to remove this problem from his life forever, and never worry about this particular White Dragon Emperor ever again.

The magicians had been long defeated by this point, and so the only people left were the ones who were from the faction summit in the first place. They all approached the couple with varying degrees of apprehension, shocked to see the incredibly powerful White Dragon Emperor defeated so easily.

Issei's hands wavered just over Vali's neck. He couldn't bring himself to do it, but couldn't make himself pull away.

"Well...that's certainly one way to do it." Azazel commented with mild admiration, seeing Vali's leg and hand both badly damaged.

"I gave him an out." Issei said, almost sounding disappointed. His hands didn't move an inch away from the downed dragon's throat.

"Yes you did child, yes you did. What matters now," Lisa Lisa approached Issei, looking him in the eyes, "is what you choose to do next. Your opponent is beaten, possibly beyond repair. He threatened you and tried his hardest to hurt you, all for selfish reasons. He wanted nothing more than to take away those you loved, just for a good fight. So, it's really up to you; will you kill him, and save yourself a lot of potential trouble later on? Or will you turn the cheek and spare him? You said you hate bullies- what would a bully do?"

Issei looked down at Vali, who was looking back up at him with pure hate. His eyes promised pain, and revenge would be something Issei would have to worry about for the rest of his life.

Issei was stumped. He really, truly, absolutely did not know what to do.

"You know what I'd do." Said Matsuda, drawing a line across his own neck. "Better safe than sorry."

"Issei, if you kill that boy, you will bear that weight for the rest of your life." Elsa said seriously, just arriving.

"He threatened to murder your mother. His life is yours, by all rights." Xenovia spoke up, every bit the warrior she'd been before.

"I...I…" Issei began to panic.

Before he'd even met Vali, the White One had already done him wrong. He haunted Raynare's nightmares ever since the incident with Freed, and he'd been an ever-looming threat for as long as Issei had awakened the Boosted Gear.

It would be so easy. One crunch. One squeeze. A lifetime of worrying, gone.

But a lifetime of guilt.

"Issei, look at me." Raynare pulled his cheek, forcing Issei to look back at her. "I know I said to kill him a minute ago, but look. He's done. For now, forever. He's not coming back from that, and if he does- we'll beat his ass again."

"But...our kid. They'll never really be safe."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Look...I had the chance to kill you. I had the chance to kill Kalawarner. I had the chance to kill Matsuda. Each and every time...you stopped me. You'll always stop me. Now, I'm stopping you. He's done. Leave it be."

"...Alright."

With an enormous amount of effort, Issei got off of Vali and dispersed his armor, stumbling into Raynare's arms. She and Elsa and Lisa Lisa all breathed a sigh of relief, all happy they didn't have to watch the poor boy commit murder.

"Well done, darling. You made the right choice. And, here...I believe this is yours." Lisa Lisa handed Issei a blue orb, which he took a moment to recognize.

"Is...is this part of the divine dividing?" Issei asked, more than a little confused. It was the gem that had fallen away when Issei broke Vali's armor.

"That it is. It's yours to do with as you wish- but you earned it. Do what you will, with my blessing."

"Uh...alright. Thanks." Issei handed it off to Raynare, who put it in a pocket dimension with a spell.

"Don't mention it." Lisa Lisa winked at him.

The large barrier field around them shattered like glass, shifting the orange tint around them to one of natural night, like it was in the real world.

Issei looked up in frustration, wondering what would happen _now._ He didn't have to wait long for an answer, as a teenager in Eastern monk's armor dropped down in front of him, right next to Vali.

"V-Vali?" He looked stunned to see the White One in such a state. Vali didn't respond.

"Bikou? Have you joined the Chaos Brigade?" Azazel asked, genuinely surprised.

"Uh, yes. I'd love to stay and chat, but you appear to have maimed my comrade, so we'll have to talk another time. Bye now!"

Quickly gathering himself, the man apparently named Bikou slammed a bo staff into the ground, creating a teleportation circle that he and Vali both sunk into. Within moments, they were gone.

"And stay out." Issei said, kicking the dirt where they left from and nearly falling over in the process.

Raynare grabbed him by his shoulder, so he didn't face plant. "Okay hotshot, let's not get too excited."

His Balance Breaker had never been used to that extent before, and it had very obviously worn him out. Not nearly as bad as previous milestones with the Boosted Gear- he was still mobile-ish, which was a definite step up.

"Well...nothing left to do but to finish, huh?" Azazel announced, looking around.

"Peace, then?" Sirzechs said, smiling.

"Peace. True peace, between the three factions. It's been a long time coming, I think." Lisa Lisa spoke in a victorious tone, like she couldn't wait for it to be finalized.

"Yay! Peaceful negotiations were a success, despite the terrorists!" Serafall pumped her fist in the air, an action entirely out of character for a Devil King.

"So by the way, what was the deal with those silver wings?" Matsuda asked Raynare. She forgot, that was the first time anyone there other than Azazel or Lisa Lisa had seen her silver wings- she'd always used illusion magic to make them seem black. She was about to answer, but Lisa Lisa interrupted.

"Darling, I'll tell you all about the silver wings. Let's let them go home and get some rest, hm?" Lisa Lisa pat Matsuda on the back, diverting his question.

"Good idea. You ready, Issei?" Raynare asked the lump of putty in her arms. At first, she'd had him in a soldiers' carry, with just his right arm around her shoulders, but at some point it had ended up more of a firemens' carry with him basically _on_ her shoulders.

"No, wait…! I gotta question." Issei pulled himself together long enough to stand on his own two feet and walk to Lisa Lisa, coming close to her ear.

"What is it, darling?"

Issei whispered something only loud enough for her to hear. It was a question, they knew that much- but from the way Lisa Lisa's face lit up, it was anyone's guess as to the contents.

"Oh, I'd love to! Just let me know the details when you come up with them, you have my cell. Oh-ho, I'm already excited!" Lisa Lisa started to walk off towards the ruins of the school building, her angels in tow, but lingered for just a moment longer. "And, Raynare? Your baby's fine. You're lucky you angels were built tough, or it could've gone worse, but for now- the baby couldn't be healthier. Ta-ta~!"

Raynare and Issei both breathed a deep sigh of relief.

With that Lisa Lisa and her angels left for real, leaving only Elsa remaining.

"...I'll come by tomorrow morning, no worries. And, Raynare…" Issei's mother got close, close enough to whisper. "...thank you. He couldn't have done it without you."

Raynare was a bit uncomfortable with the sincere praise (and a bit weirded out about talking to Issei's "dead" mom) and tried to deflect it. "I'm sure he'd have been fine. Vali wasn't as bad as we thought he'd be, actually. We may have overtrained..."

"I didn't mean that." Elsa winked, then followed Lisa Lisa.

"I'm glad you're both alright. That was quite the fight, you work very well together. I think it would've been enjoyable to see you in the rating game a while back." Sirzechs said, before following Lisa Lisa.

"What Zechs said, you guys were cool!" Serafall did the same.

"See you both at school tomorrow?" Rias asked, waving at the two. Raynare shrugged. To her, it didn't look like there was much of a school left. Rias and her peerage left, leaving behind only Matsuda.

"Good job, man. You really tore his ass up, shit was insane!" Matsuda pumped his fists, hyped up by the amazing fight. "And, uh...glad you're alright."

Just like everyone else, he left soon after congratulating them.

It really had been incredible- it was a classic case of sheer power vs overwhelmingly synergistic teamwork, and of course Vali had been overrun. He simply didn't stand a chance, when they were both fighting together. If it had been just Issei, maybe he'd have gotten the upper hand, but that's exactly why Raynare hadn't let it come to that.

"Well, I'll admit. You did way better than I thought you would. I'm proud, kids." Azazel ruffled Issei's hair- which almost sent the poor boy to the ground- and then stepped away, starting to follow the rest of the people. "I'll be coming by with Elsa tomorrow, so keep some good sake for me. Got a lot to talk about, now. See ya."

Once everyone was gone, Raynare groaned. "Barf, finally. We're done, right? Let's get out of here."

Issei hummed in agreement, and Raynare teleported them back to their home.

Issei didn't even bother getting undressed before jumping into bed and passing out.

* * *

 **Okay, first thing's first- if you come to this story to complain about Matsuda and Rias, fuck you. Fuck your head and the neck it rode in on. I'll tell you right now, Matsuda's poking Rias' guts off screen. I know that pisses some of you peeps off for whatever reason, but I really don't care. Get over it, it's not their story.**

 **And like I said up top- that's not a joke, I've been awake over a full day now as of the time of finishing this chapter. There's probably a lot of mistakes in the grammar and formatting and whatever else- FFS, TELL ME IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG! I KNOW YOU SEE IT! SAY SOMETHING! That's all.**

 **Okay, actual AN now. So, like in cannon, the original intent was to have Issei lose at first- but then I thought...why? What's the gain from having the loser lose again? Doesn't he deserve a real win, where he doesn't have to fight someone he cares about or have a (major) moral crisis or almost die? And this was the perfect solution. Issei and Raynare as a combo whooped total ass, as was always intended. My only hope was that I wrote that scene as good as I envisioned it, cus _obviously_ Belial the Liar isn't exactly known for his fight scenes so I was a bit worried about the turnout. Oh well.**

 **Why is Elsa back? And did you take Elsa's name from Frozen? No, I took the name from Indiana Jones. Dr. Elsa Schnider, treasure hunter and scientist. And also, I've had Elsa's return on my mind since the dream sequence from forever ago. The actual return will be next chapter, when she actually gets a chance to talk to him.**

 **Why wasn't Grayfia in this chapter? Okay, to be honest- this one was my bad. I wrote like half of the chapter before I remembered Grayfia being in the arc** (whoops) so I **just filled in the gaps with Michael or Serafall. Shouldn't matter that much, hopefully no one complains too bad.**

 **Anyway, so here's a neat thing- I started a Ko-Fi donation page, details on my profile. If you like my stories (get better taste) and you have some money that you can't find a better way to spend (yes you can, I promise there's a better way) then feel free to donate. I appreciate anything.**

 **So that's all I can think of right now (tired as FUCK boy) so I'm just gonna sign off and hope it turned out okay. Hopefully this chapter isn't too long? I'm sure you guys won't be too salty about a 10k chapter, but who knows.**

 **Anyway, as always, read and review.**

 **See you next mission!**


	26. Heavenly meal

**So there's been a lot of time between now and my last update, and for that I'm sorry. To tell the truth, it wasn't even because I was super busy- I just wasn't feeling it. Something very bad happened to me recently, and I'll spare you the details at the moment anyway- for those of you that care I'll talk about it at the bottom so there's not a ton of word-vomit up here. For now, I'll skip to the relevant bits.**

 **-Why was Issei conflicted about killing Vali? A: Issei, at his core, is not a bad person. He doesn't like to cause pain, and he doesn't want to fight. He just wants to live with Raynare. He is** _not_ **a killer, and to callously take the life** **of someone you've already beaten, even if they could be a threat later- it's not something he could easily do. He _could_ do it, but he wouldn't ever feel right about it, and it would likely haunt him forever. Not only that, but he wasn't certain the White Dragon wouldn't just reincarnate into someone else who was even more a problem. "The Devil you know," right? Anyway, it was natural for him to be conflicted, is what I'm getting at. It's not nearly as easy to take a life as some of you seem to think it is.**

 **-...there was only one relevant bit.**

 **Also, shout-out to people who compliment my writing skills when you review. It's always great to see a review about your plot or characters or whatever, but people talking about my writing style and stuff really tickles me. Anyway, thanks.**

 **Like I said, sorry about the super long chapter wait again. I'll try to update sooner, but as I'll explain down below, I'm not in a great place right now. Anyway, read and review.**

* * *

Issei opened his eyes to the sound of several people chatting, and while that was a sound he knew, it certainly wasn't one he was used to hearing first thing in the morning. He felt for Raynare, only to realize he was currently her little spoon.

"Kalawarner, Azazel, Lisa Lisa, and your mom. Other than Kala, they've been here for like an hour." Raynare mumbled, aware he'd awoken. She'd been awake for quite a while, but if she got up she'd have to interact with the gaggle of people outside, and groups were never her forte.

The light shining in through their window alerted Issei to the fact that it was sometime before noon, and a cursory glance towards their alarm clock revealed it was almost eleven, far too late for school. Issei untangled himself from Raynare and sat up, coming to terms with the fact that his long-dead mother was in the other room chatting with God, a high level fallen Angel, and Raynare's best friend. It sounded like a bad joke.

But, joke or not, he wanted to talk to Elsa very badly, not having gotten a chance the night before.

"G'morning, Ray. You haven't talked to any of them yet?" Issei smiled down at his angel, who was still curled up in bed with an annoyed look.

"Nope. Too loud. _Ughh~_ , come back over here." Raynare said, frowning at the sudden lack of warmth in her arms. Issei laughed and pet her head. Even after all this time together, it never failed to amaze him that the tough-as-nails former assassin Raynare was a total cuddlebug.

"Not this time. I'm gonna take a quick shower. You coming?" Issei asked, taking off the school shirt he'd been on since yesterday.

Raynare sighed, then sat up on her knees. She was stark naked, which shocked precisely nobody. "That depends on you, darling~." She crooned with a smirk.

Issei blushed _violently_ , but didn't say anything as she followed him into the bathroom.

* * *

In the living room the four people gathered were discussing this and that and everything else. Kalawarner had no idea who the blonde angel was or how she was related to Lisa Lisa (who she'd only known as Raynare's older friend thus far) but Azazel was buddy-buddy with her and that was enough for the junior fallen.

The four of them were playing Smash Bros on Issei's big TV, with Azazel being absolutely dumbfounded at how much better Lisa Lisa was than him. He knew she was God, but it was still embarrassing to lose to an old lady at a video game.

Lisa Lisa was Palutena, Elsa was Pit, Azazel was Dark Pit, and Kalawarner was Bayonetta. It was a standard three stock match, and the only one with three stocks left was Lisa Lisa. She'd gone almost entirely unscathed the whole game, while Kala and Elsa were already knocked out. Azazel opposed her with only one life left.

"How the hell did you get this good?!" Azazel roared out in determination, finally launching Lisa Lisa's first life off the stage.

"I'm good at everything, and watch your mouth."

"Isn't pride a sin?!"

Lisa Lisa (somewhat ironically) mercilessly launched his last life, winning the game.

Azazel hung his head in shame, and both the angel girls were relieved the one-sided slaughter was over.

All of a sudden, Lisa Lisa sighed. "Would it kill them to show a little restraint?" She snapped her fingers, and nothing visibly changed for a couple seconds. Azazel and Elsa looked on in curiosity, while Kalawarner didn't really know what just happened.

After a moment, Raynare's shriek filled the penthouse, making Lisa Lisa chuckle darkly. Not five minutes later, an absolutely ferocious Risen Angel stomped grouchily out of the master bedroom. She was dressed lazily in pajamas, and looked as gloomy as could be.

"Freezing cold water, really?" Raynare growled towards Lisa Lisa as she approached the kitchen. The old woman laughed in response, waving a greeting.

Issei followed out of the bedroom a couple moments after, a blush on his face. "S-sorry I took so long…" He knew Lisa Lisa knew.

Nobody other than Lisa Lisa realized they were in the middle of getting busy in the shower, so reactions were all a little confused.

Issei stopped cold once he saw his mother on the couch. He'd known she'd be there, but nothing prepared him for coming face-to-face with her like this. The night before, he'd been too distracted by the all-encompassing threat of Vali to worry about anything else, but now, all that was on his mind was his mother.

"Hi, kiddo. How have you been?" Elsa asked, smiling brightly. She stood up off the couch and walked towards him, arms wide for a hug. Issei gladly returned it, not really caring that all eyes in the room were on them.

"So...what's going on in here? Does nobody care about doors anymore?" Issei asked, turning away from his mother and addressing the gathering of people in his house. He really didn't care, of course.

"Kalawarner let us in. Very kind of her." Lisa Lisa explained, nodding to the bluenette.

"Oh right. Kala, this is the new God." Raynare said, looking up from digging around in their fridge to gesture towards Lisa Lisa.

"...Huh?" Kalawarner went wide-eyed. She didn't believe it at first, but began to put the pieces together after a moment of stunned silence. After she finally connected the dots, her first thought was ' _I just played Smash Bros with God?'_

The conversation continued unfettered. Kalawarner was left freaking out on her own in the corner.

"So, how'd the rest of the peace council go?" Issei sat down with his mom, next to Azazel. Raynare stood on the side of their bar towards the kitchen, while Kalawaner left her seat to go stand on the other side opposite Raynare.

"Perfectly. Anonymous declaration of peace on all sides. Kuoh academy was rebuilt as a symbol of unification, so don't think you'll get to skimp out on school for too much longer. Although, I'm sure the Sitri devil would let you...I think she's taken a liking to you." Azazel had a massive smirk on his face.

"Taken a liking...was Sona even there?" Issei asked, looking at Raynare. She shrugged. They'd both been far to focused on other things to notice whether or not one devil had been present.

"Regardless of whether she was or not, the video of your fight with Vali has been leaked onto the Underworld's version of youtube, so you're making a splash all over the place right now. You're leaving quite an impression with the weaker members of society, what with your 'I can't stand bullies' line and all that. Everyone's talking about the Red Dragon and his fetching Risen Angel companion. You're very popular right now, is what I'm getting at."

"...Great. It's happening again. Between that stupid video of me singing and now this, I'm going to be famous before I garduate highschool." Coming from anyone else, that may have been a good thing, but Issei looked as downtrodden as he could possibly get. He didn't really want to be famous, especially not for beating Vali. He just wanted a quiet life with Raynare.

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you a while back. I uploaded that video too. As in, I uploaded both, but I never told you about the first one." Azazel winked at Issei, the latter turning to look at him with a glare.

"So it's your fault I got hounded for weeks every time I went outside? Gee, thanks."

"Well after this one, Raynare's going to have her work cut out for her, keeping all your supernatural fans away from you. They're a little more _determined_ than humans, one might say." Azazel snickered, pleased with himself for having made Issei a celebrity yet again.

"Stop antagonizing him, Ziz." Elsa pinched Azazel's' cheek, making the older man wince and cry uncle.

"I think it's _her_ you'll have to worry about…" Azazel murmured, peeking at Raynare, whose eyes were _aflame_ at the mere prospect of someone else trying to come onto Issei.

"Okay, so, recap...we're all at peace, Lisa Lisa is God, I'm famous again, and there's a big group of terrorists running around under the radar? Great." Issei sighed, annoyed. As if three factions hadn't been enough of a headache, the Chaos Brigade was now a thing to worry about.

"You're forgetting to see the forest for the trees, darling. You have a beautiful fiance, you defeated the greatest threat to your happiness, you've got a baby on the way and a wedding coming up, your mother is alive, and we've got _wonderful_ weather today." Lisa Lisa lifted Issei's spirits with every word out of her mouth, befitting her status as God.

"Speaking of which, have you picked out a dress? A venue? A minister? There's a lot of work to be done, kids." Elsa looked at Raynare, who just smirked.

"You wanna see the dress?"

Elsa was up in an instant. She was a strict woman when she needed to be- she didn't get her doctorate by playing around, after all- but she retained a youthful vigor and excitability, and her soon to be daughter-in-law's wedding dress was most certainly a point of interest. Raynare, Elsa, and Kalawarner all fled to the latter's bedroom.

"Guess she's got a nice one picked out already, huh?" Azazel asked Issei, who shrugged.

"I guess so. She kept talking about how great it was, but wouldn't show it to me. I didn't peg Raynare for being one to go along with that kind of tradition, but if she's happy, I'm happy."

"A good outlook to have." Lisa Lisa nodded in approval.

"So...up for another round?" Azazel asked, picking up his discarded game controller.

Issei noticed what was on the television screen. "Were you guys playing Smash? Seriously?"

"Mhmm. Azazel lost pitifully. I do hope you'll put up a better fight, dearest." Lisa Lisa had an uncharacteristic glint in her eyes as she offered Issei a challenge. She picked up and handed to him one of the girls' left behind controllers. "After all, to suffer is to become closer to God."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Elsa, Raynare, and Kalawarner all came back to see Issei and Azazel hanging their heads in defeat while Lisa Lisa cackled away.

"Welcome back!" Issei practically yelled in relief, tired of having been made a punching bag by Lisa Lisa's unholy gaming skills. He stood up and nearly ran to Raynare and Elsa.

"Well, I'm impressed by the dress, and that ring, oh _wow_ that ring, but...there's still a lot of work to be done. I hope you've truly prepared for the situation you've put yourself in, Issei." Elsa tousled his hair, like she did when he was a child.

To Issei, it felt a little unreal. This whole time, having his long-deceased mother suddenly reappear was almost like a dream come true. But, when she reached out and touched his hair, it sent a feeling through him unlike anything he'd felt in quite a while. He didn't really know what it was or how to react, but it was pleasant. He felt truly at ease. Somewhere he'd connected the dots that he'd visited her way back when he'd almost died instead of just dreaming, so the runion wasn't nearly as sappy as one might think. They'd already met, so there was no need for that sort of thing.

"Why don't we all share a meal, to celebrate?" Lisa Lisa asked, putting down the controller.

"Celebrate what? They aren't married yet." Kalawarner replied, not really understanding the point.

"To celebrate what a wonderful family this has become, of course!" Lisa Lisa retorted, smiling.

Her words rocked Issei's world. He hadn't really registered it. For the majority of his life, the only thing he'd ever wanted was a family, a real one. All he'd been focused on is how rough the past few months had been, but now he realized he'd slowly built up a real family and hadn't even noticed it.

Raynare, his child's mother and wife-to-be.

Kalawarner, his snarky but reliable older sister.

Azazel, his crazy uncle.

Elsa, his long-lost mother.

Lisa Lisa, his kind and doting grandma.

Not to mention all the friends he'd made, as well as a kid on the way.

A happy tear slipped down his cheek, and he didn't even notice. Elsa was quick to react, wiping it away with a thumb before anyone else even saw. She flashed him a radiant smile befitting an Angel, letting him know he was in good hands now.

"Yeah," Issei nodded in agreement, "a meal would be great."

"Wonderful! Issei, Elsa, if you two would be so kind as to help me cook..." Lisa Lisa opened a normal-size cabinet and pulled out an entire three course meal's worth of ingredients in a wicker basket (which Issei was entirely sure hadn't been there before) and placed it on the countertop. "...Then I'll take care of the rest."

* * *

 _ **An hour later**_

* * *

"Wow...that was great." Issei leaned back on the couch, resting his head on Raynare's shoulder. They'd had a meal centered in bread and fish, with ingredients created almost entirely from Lisa Lisa's heavenly power. All of them were seated around the TV in the living room. Elsa and Raynare sat on either side of Issei, Kalawarner sat in a recliner, and Azazel and Lisa Lisa both sat on a two-person loveseat.

"Seconded. One might even call it _heavenly_." The entire room minus Lisa Lisa groaned at Azazel's pun. God however, being quite the jokester herself, found it more than funny. She cackled like mad, and after a moment, everyone else was laughing too.

"So what was the important thing you had to talk about?"

It had been on Issei's mind for a minute now. Two of the most powerful and important figures on the _planet_ were inside his house, so it stood to reason that they must have a reason other than visiting. Not to mention, Azazel had mentioned it the night before in the aftermath of Issei's bout with Vali.

"Well, if I'm being honest? Nothing, really. Just summing up the events of that piss-poor excuse of a peace council and hanging out, not often that I get to see some of my favorite kids and an old friend. That an issue?" Azazel crossed his arms and cracked open one eye, staring at Issei.

"Not at all. Just making sure there wasn't some super pressing issue we needed to worry about."

"I wouldn't let him trouble you with it if there were anyway, darling. You keep your head turned towards your own future, and let everyone else take care of the rest." Lisa Lisa, without even trying, always managed to drop solid advice. Issei appreciated it.

"You know...have you announced your engagement?" Elsa asked, already two steps ahead. She was formulating a plan in her mind.

"...Announced? Not really, not formally. Do we have to?" Issei asked. Raynare facepalmed.

"Of course! But I'm glad you haven't. Let's make it a party!" Elsa exclaimed, now excited.

Issei and Raynare were both dismayed. Neither liked the idea of a bustling party, both preferring the company of the quality few over a blank many.

"Not what you're thinking. Is Shangri-La still in business?" Elsa glanced to Lisa Lisa, who nodded. She understood perfectly what her angel was getting at and liked the idea, but it was ultimately the couple's decision.

"They are…" Issei began to understand. "Are you saying we should throw an engagement party at Shangri-La?"

Raynare perked up. That wasn't a half-bad idea.

"Wouldn't it be fun?! It doesn't have to be huge or even planned, we can just call ahead and have a little get together!" Elsa was to the point of giddy excitement, and it seemed to be taking all her effort not to squeal.

Azazel chuckled. "Well kiddos, it's your call." Lisa Lisa nodded in agreement, also abuzz.

Issei glanced to Raynare. "What do you think?"

"I like it. I'm gonna get you wine drunk again."

Issei blanched.

Elsa _did_ squeal this time. "That's the spirit!"

* * *

 _ **Several hours later**_

* * *

Issei had on a black-on-red three piece suit, lovingly staring at Raynare as she brushed her long hair in front of their bedroom mirror. Every once in a while, she'd glance at him in the corner of her eye, but he never once stopped looking at her with unbridled adoration.

"You lose something over here?" Raynare's pulse went up a little as he stared. Even after all this time, she wasn't so used to all the verbal affection. She absolutely loved it, she just wasn't an expert on handling it. Physical affection was where she excelled, and Issei _always_ had the upper hand when it came to words. Melting her heart was second nature to him at this point.

"Only my heart."

She sighed, a faint blush spreading over her face. "You aren't even blinking, dork."

"I don't want to miss a single second."

A momentary pause in the brushing. "You know, this isn't that special. I'm just brushing my hair."

"Everything you do is special to me."

More blush.

"We're gonna be married soon, so you'll get to look all you want. It's not that special."

"And I can't wait to watch you every single time."

Raynare stopped brushing, looked up at the ceiling, and groaned. His last comment had broken her, and she was finally blushing entirely. She turned to Issei, who was still giving her puppy-love eyes, and leveled the hairbrush at him. "Look casanova, if you keep sweet talking me we're never gonna make it to our party."

"I can't help it. You're just so amazing."

"Shut up, loverboy. Come help me with my hair."

Issei got up from his place on the bed and moved behind his fiance, taking the hairbrush from over her shoulder. Kalawarner had taught him to braid to surprise Raynare, and ever since he'd almost become her own personal stylist.

Just a little while later, Raynare was sporting an expertly done double crown-braid. She too was dressed up for the party, wearing a black gown that perfectly complemented her hair and eyes, and she turned this way and that way inspecting herself in the mirror.

"Ready?"

"I think so."

"I hope this is going to be as fun as mom thinks it is."

"I actually thought about this earlier while she was talking about it, but...don't they think she's dead? Abdalla gave you his condolences and everything."

"...oh wow, I think you're right. Well, this is going to be interesting night."

Raynare sighed, then laughed. All of a sudden she grinned an evil grin, looking up into Issei's eyes.

"I'm gonna get you drunk~"

Issei laughed.

* * *

 **Okay, hope you all enjoyed. Just some light-hearted slice of life at the moment, and that's probably what most of the next few chapter will be too. Hope you're ready.** **Anyway, onto what I mentioned at the top.**

 **Note: This is a sad story, and a text dump. There's nothing about the story itself after this point, so if you don't care about my personal life then just skip it. I understand.**

 **So, some of you know this, but I haven't ever had a great relationship with my close family. As a kid and teen, my best friend and closest family member a lot of times was my own American Bulldog, Roxy. She was my favorite thing on the planet, not exaggerating. Just recently, I drove the nine hours home from my college (Texas Tech University) pretty much** _just_ **to see her, since I couldn't take her with me. It's not an exaggeration to say I was there exclusively for my dog, not at all for the rest of my family. Anyway, the night before Thanksgiving, my mother ended up (inadvertently) causing a dogfight between Roxy and our other dog, Jake. (Not my dog at all.) This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it was the last time. Roxy had always been a complete sweetheart with any person ever, but was aggressive with other animals- she'd sent our other dogs to the vet numerous times, and to cut a long story short, my dad gave me the ultimatum that the next time she attacked another animal he'd put her down. I mean, I understood- as much as I loved her, she was dangerous to other animals. Not good, for sure. But see, the thing about this, is that my dad is only home half of the year with his job. (Fourteen on, fourteen off. Google it.)**

 **He was not at home this time.**

 **I've been able to break apart dogfights before (every time in fact) but this time, I just didn't. This time, I grabbed a rifle, and I ended my best friends' life myself. It tore me to shreds. I buried her the same night, underneath a tree where we used to play. I was essentially comatose for a while after, then I was hysteric, but now I'm alright-ish. I'm cutting this story short to avoid breaking anyone's hearts, but yeah. It wasn't easy on my mental state.**

 **Anyway, I'm sure I've bored you enough with this morally questionable story. I just wanted everyone to know why I haven't been writing.**

 **Don't forget to review.**


	27. Engagement Party

**Took me a while to write this one. Kept getting stuck. Lots of characters to work with.**

 **Anyway, so I'm sure I had a lot to say but I really can't remember. It's 6:30am (sleep is a myth) and I've been writing since about 1:00am, so my brain is a little out right now. I'm sure you understand. The only thing I can really think of, is my PMs have been reaaaally weird lately. I've stopped getting email notifications when I get a PM so it can take me a while to see it (and thus respond) and also I'm not 100% sure my PMs go through when I do respond. The last like 8 pms I've sent have all had no response. Oh well.**

 **Putting that aside, I'd like to thank all of you for all of the kinds words you said on the last chapter. I was really in a dark place, and you all helped pull me out. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

 **Boring stuff out of the way, I'll let you get to the chapter now. I really like it, hopefully you all will too. Read and review, of course.**

* * *

"Last time you left this place was on a stretcher, right kiddo? Maybe don't overdo it now that your mom's here, huh? Oh, and God. Can't forget God."

Azazel good-naturedly rubbed Issei's left shoulder with his right hand as the group rode the elevator up to Shangri-La. The Fallen General stood in the front, with Issei on his right and Lisa Lisa on his left. Raynare stood on the other side of Issei, while Kalawarner and Elsa stood behind them all.

Elsa was jittering excitedly, Kalawarner looked a little on edge, Raynare was wearing Issei's arm, and Lisa Lisa just chuckled. They were all dressed in fine clothes, except the Heavenly Mother herself- she was wearing the same blue and white sari she'd worn to the peace summit.

"Did you tell them we're coming?" Issei asked, looking back at Elsa.

"Of course! I wanted them to get everything ready!" The angel was beyond elated, which made Issei a little nervous.

"...'Everything'?" Raynare echoed quietly in apprehension.

Issei nodded sadly, still coming to terms with the fact that they were in for an interesting time.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival to the true location of Shangri-La. Before anyone could even move, Elsa practically flew out the doors, nearly trampling her son and daughter-in-law in the process.

"She's too excited for this." Kalawarner remarked dryly. She'd resigned herself to being a semi third-wheel months ago, but this felt like a new level, even if it wasn't weird for her to be at her best friends' engagement party.

"It's her son's engagement party, she's allowed to be a little excited. Come." Lisa Lisa was the next out, everyone following behind her.

"Reservations for the Hyoudou party?" Elsa was already a little too close to the waiter, who responded as professionally as ever.

"Ah, of course. Right this way, everyone. And might I say, it's wonderful to see you once again in good health Miss Elsa." The waiter bowed and began to lead the party to their table, chatting with Elsa the whole way there.

As the group rounded the corner and came face to face with the general populace of Shangri-La, it became apparent that Elsa had done a little more than tell them about reservations.

There were white streamer-esque decorations hanging from every spot they could (surprisingly quite a few, given that there was no real roof) and the usual crowd had gathered, dressed in even-more-formal attire, if there was ever such a thing. All eyes were on the couple, and quite a few rousing shouts went up in their celebration.

"Oh...wow." This was Kalawarner's first time in Shangri-La, so she was a bit awestruck.

"Welcome, welcome! Oh, it is good to see you again my friends!" Abdalla was the first to approach, throwing Issei, Raynare, and Elsa into a large hug. He backed away after a second, looking up and down at Elsa. "Truly, dearest Elsa, I thought you were lost…" The man's face lit up once more when he noticed Lisa Lisa to the side. "...but I see you keep better company than most!" He waved to her, and the old woman cackled and waved back in response, entertained by the gentle giant's display of jollyness.

There was a bigger than normal table set up for the group's reservation, and Abdalla quickly ushered them to it. Raynare and Issei sat at the head, with Azazel and Elsa to one side of them and Kalawarner and Lisa Lisa to the other. On the other end of the table, there were two more empty chairs.

It only made Kalawarner a _little_ anxious sitting next to the God of Heaven.

Just a little.

Of course, remembering how thoroughly she'd been defeated in Super Smash Bros of all things did pretty well to quash that line of thinking.

After they were all seated, Abdalla quickly left, going to talk with both the staff and other guests about the celebration.

"So, uh...what do you do at an engagement party?" Issei rubbed his head with a grimace, not really knowing what his part in all this was. His mother was up in arms the moment she'd had the idea, but she wasn't one to stop and explain once her mind was running, so they'd stayed relatively light on actual details.

"Oh, plenty! You'll have to announce your engagement, give some details on the big day, make a toast and a speech, a couple little things-"

"Stop right there! I have to give a speech?!" Issei was flabbergasted by his mother's revelation, which she'd only _just_ mentioned for the first time.

"...or Raynare could do it. It's just typical of these kinds of things for the bride and groom to both say a piece, not to mention they know you better than they know her. Well, I suppose _typically_ the bride's parents are supposed to throw the celebration in the first place, but…"

All eyes turned to Raynare, who half-heartedly blew a party-blower with a deadpan expression. It made nothing more than a pitiful wheezing noise.

After all, everyone there knew her parent(s) weren't likely to attend, being that there was only one (technically not even her parent in the usual sense) and he was also _super_ dead.

Besides, Raynare didn't even know if she'd have wanted him there to begin with. Had she thought of the first biblical God as her father? Yes, like all pure Angels.

But, when he'd cast her from Heaven over something she'd really had no control over, she'd gradually stopped seeing him like that. Even now, if he'd suddenly shown up, she didn't know how she'd feel. A real father wouldn't have abandoned his daughter like that, not on his life.

"Regardless, I think you'll be fine. Haven't you performed in front of this crowd before anyway?" Elsa's words broke Raynare out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the moment.

"Yeah, but...that's different than standing up and giving a speech."

"Then do that again! Give a song instead, if that's easier!" Elsa exclaimed. She'd been a little sorry she'd missed the first time he'd performed aloud anyway. Lisa Lisa had been quick to show her the video, though.

"No way, last time I sang I ended up viral!"

"I hate to interrupt, but might I interject with some wine?"

The French server from the first time they'd visited Shangri-La, Pierre, was alongside the table with a cart of wine bottles. Elsa squealed, standing up and hugging the smaller man. He eagerly returned the hug, then the two exchanged a friendly European style double cheek kiss.

"I've reserved your favorite, madame, not to worry! Ze moment I heard you were coming, I was véhément! Nothing but ze best for ze great Doctor Elsa! Not to mention, ze lovely bride and her fetching groom! Magnifique! Enjoy enjoy, all on ze house! Congrats on ze wedding, and mark my words monsieur Hyoudou, if I see you disrespecting my wine again, I will hang you by your entrails! Adieu!"

 **(Note to any French people reading this: the stereotypical movie accent is what I'm going for here, sorry if this hurts anyone's feelings. Désolés.)**

While he was talking, Pierre and his assistants had pulled two bottles of wine from the cart and filled everyone's red and white glasses to the brim, then retreated with expert precision once he was done speaking.

Raynare's eyes twinkled as she watched Issei swirl the red wine around in his glass, delighted at the prospect of getting him blackout drunk again. Drunk Issei would do things sober Issei would get a nosebleed at the mere _mention_ of.

If one could see her wings, they'd be flickering between silver and black.

"Now would be the time for a speech, I think." Azazel pointed towards the crowd of party-goers/Shangri-La regulars, who were for the most part looking expectantly at Issei's group.

"Wait, seriously? We haven't even had a chance to breathe yet!" Issei whispered insistently towards Azazel, extremely uncomfortable at the prospect of giving a speech in front of even these people. The Governor-General shrugged.

"Up to you, but I'd do it now. A greeting, at least."

"I...fine."

Issei stood up, patting his suit down in a fruitless attempt to divert attention. The crowd quieted as he stood, waiting for him to speak.

'Crowd' may be a strong description. About forty people, including staff, was gathered all around the high-rise restaurant in no particularly large cluster. Most were there for the party through some connection or another, whether direct or not, but a strong few were merely eating a good meal. Regardless of their intentions, everyone there focused on Issei.

"Uh...hi. Big thanks to everyone for coming by. We couldn't- that is, me and Raynare, my fiance- be happier to announce our engagement."

Raynare stood up beside him, waving towards the crowd with a mostly-fake smile. She was far less shy than Issei, but disliked the spotlight nonetheless. That said, she wouldn't shirk from helping share their attention if it would give Issei a bit of a break.

"Some of you may have seen me bring her here a while back on our first date, and I think we may have introduced her as Yuuma, do to circumstances outside our control- but just in case that did happen, first thing's first, I'd like to formally clear any misunderstandings. This is Raynare, soon to be Raynare Hyoudou, my fiance and the absolute love of my life."

The crowd lightly applauded, some of them cheering a bit for the couple. Unbeknownst to Issei, there had been quite a bit of betting going on between the patrons of Shangri-La as to whether or not they'd stay together. A fair amount of money would be changing hands tonight, now that the bets were settled.

As Issei continued, Azazel watched with a bit of a questioning look on his face. For someone who's so shy, he sure was nailing the impromptu speech. Lisa Lisa, noticing his confusion, pointed towards Issei's red wine glass.

It was already completely empty.

Azazel quietly burst into laughter, trying his best not to cause a scene during the boy's speech. No _wonder_ the words were flowing so readily.

"Secondly I'd like to invite everyone to order whatever they'd like from Monsieur Pierre, as our treat- it would hardly be a party otherwise, am I right?" Issei's slightly-slurred speech was met with a resounding round of applause and a fair bit of laughter, as most of the people noticed by this point that he was becoming a little tipsy.

"Third and last- uh, I forgot. Thanks for coming, and feel free to come visit with us!" Issei put his hands up and grinned, mirrored by the excited crowd. He sat down hastily, looking beyond pleased with himself.

"Really, twerp? You couldn't give a speech without getting shitfaced?" Kalawarner pointed towards his empty glass with a smirk.

Issei shrugged with a grin, fully aware he'd cheated a bit.

Raynare snorted a laugh and sat down beside him, albeit far more gracefully than he had.

"You're lucky Pierre didn't see you down that wine, he'd _hang you by your entrails!_ " Raynare mimicked Pierre's accent, making Issei laugh.

"I feel like I probably shouldn't condone underage drinking, but maybe this time is alright. Maybe."

Of all people, Police Officer/Limo Driver Yoshikage clapped Issei on the back, surprising both him and Raynare.

"Officer Yoshikage, wow, how've you been?" Issei asked with a smile, not at all expecting to see him there but pleased nonetheless.

"Hey hey hey, Yoshi's fine. And I've been good! Remember how I mentioned the mayor taking me here a while back?"

Issei and Raynare nodded, thinking back to the time he'd taken them to the police station the day after their first date.

"Yeah, well, we're a thing now." Yoshikage pointed a finger towards one of the tables nearest the edge of the roof, where a prim and proper Japanese woman with rectangular-rimmed glasses was sitting by herself. She waved at the couple, noticing their gaze turn her way.

"Huh. Congrats." Raynare said, a little dumbfounded as she halfheartedly waved back. She hadn't thought someone like a mayor could just date any random police officer/limo driver.

"Yeah, I'm pretty psyched. But hey, congrats to you guys! I definitely didn't expect an engagement party tonight, that's for sure!"

"Well, that's what you get for expecting." Lisa Lisa chimed in, winking at Yoshikage.

Yoshi chuckled in disbelief. "Man, you guys know Ms. Lisa too? Small world." He tipped his head respectfully towards her. Issei and Raynare shared an odd glance. Just how did a cop know God?

"Hey, do you still have the same number? We'll be sending out wedding invites at some point." Issei asked.

"Sure do, and I'd be glad to come! Just let me know. Ah, anyway, I figure I better go back over to the missus now. Great talking to you guys, congrats again."

Yoshikage headed back over to his girlfriend's table, leaving the party by themselves.

"Are you all ready to order?"

WIthout anyone save Lisa Lisa noticing, a waiter had approached from behind with a notepad in hand.

"Oh, yes. Here's what we'll have-"

Lisa Lisa began to order for everyone at the table, surprising them all. No one had even so much as looked at a menu yet, but she knew exactly what they all wanted.

"That's God for you, I guess…" Raynare mumbled under her breath, unnerved by how accurately Lisa Lisa had ordered for her.

"Quite the party."

"Yeah, it's not half bad."

Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory had just came out of the elevator, looking all around. Rias had on a snazzy red dress, Sona a beautiful grey one. Both were flanked by members of their peerages, Akeno and Matsuda with Rias and Tsubaki alongside Sona.

"Did you invite them?" Raynare asked Issei. She wasn't unhappy to see them, but she hadn't thought to text them.

Issei shook his head. He felt the same way she did. Rias, Sona, Tsubaki, Matsuda and Akeno were all friends of theirs, but he hadn't planned the night out enough to think of inviting them. He went to wave the group down, but surprisingly enough Azazel beat him to it.

"Hey, glad you all made it." The governor general stood up and moved to greet them.

Now, what happened next was a bit of a blur. Not a single person present knew exactly what transpired, except that there was a flash of pink and black and blue, and Issei was on his back on the ground.

"Heeeeey! I never got the chance to say it, but your fight with the White dork was sooooo cool!"

"Lady Leviathan, it would behoove you to show some manners to the party's host."

Serafall Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer had also made an appearance. The older Sitri sister was the one who'd tackled Issei, her eyes gleaming with admiration.

Raynare unceremoniously peeled the devil king off her fiance's chest and tossed her to Sirzechs, who grabbed her shoulders to keep her from blitzing the poor boy again. Not for her lack of trying, as her struggle to flee his grip was plain to see.

Issei's fiance only sneered a little bit as she helped him off the ground.

"Thanks for the invite, Azazel. Serafall was all too eager to come, and I myself was quite interested."

"Wait, really? Why? We barely know each other." Issei asked, wondering why the Devil Kings would even bother coming to their party. He dusted off his suit jacket, a little confused. He didn't necessarily have a problem with their attendance, it was just unexpected.

"We wouldn't miss the Red Dragon's engagement party for the world!" Serafall answered a little too fast, foaming at the mouth. Truth be told, she'd been an avid fan of Issei's ever since the first video of him singing dropped online. He was a picture perfect idol, and she wanted him on her TV show more than life itself.

"She's right. This event has more weight than you know. We're far from the only supernatural ones here, I assure you." Sizechs gestured to one table in particular, farthest from Issei's. Sitting there were none other than Michael the Archangel and what Issei could only assume was another angel sitting next to him. Lisa Lisa's right hand man waved back with a smile, noticing he'd been found out.

"I...uh." Issei's butterflies suddenly returned, realizing he was once again in the spotlight. Azazel had mentioned that he'd become a bit of a celebrity after his fight with Vali, but he hadn't expected anything like this.

"I wouldn't stress about it. After all, it is still your party." Azazel clapped Issei on the back, trying to reassure him. No matter who walked through the door, tonight was still about he and Raynare.

He was just about to agree with Azazel, when someone entirely unwelcome walked out of the elevator.

Issei's eyes widened as he saw Vali Lucifer enter the crowd. He glanced to Raynare, and one look told him she'd seen it too.

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't you go starting a problem, young man." Lisa Lisa was quick to diffuse any potential thoughts of battle. "He's not here to fight. You've made sure of that. Go talk to him, or don't. He won't make trouble."

Issei looked once more to Vali, who'd taken a seat on the edge of the roof looking down over the Kuoh nightlife. He nodded at Issei, acknowledging the other dragon's presence but doing no more than that before looking back out over the city.

A flick in the elbow brought Issei back to the moment. Looking to his side, he saw Kalawarner pointing at a waiter fast approaching with trays of food. The boy spared one last glance towards his so-called nemesis, then warily sat down to enjoy dinner with his family.

* * *

 _ **Another glass of wine later**_

* * *

"A tv show?" Issei asked, interest sparkling in his slightly-intoxicated eyes.

"Yeah! The number one rated show in the whole underworld! The devil youth all absolutely loved your anti-bullying thingy when you fought Vali, so I think you should make a cameo! You may even be able to sing!"

Serafall Leviathan had taken the liberty of commandeering one of the now-empty chairs next to Issei, trying to talk him into appearing as a guest star in her show. Lisa Lisa and Elsa were both off conversing with guests, while Kalawarner and Azazel were drinking at the open bar. Only Raynare and Issei were left of the original group, which they were fine with.

"Serafall, I think I see a magical girl over there." Raynare said with fake enthusiasm, pointing over to one corner of the restaurant with a lot of people.

"Where?!"

Serafall was gone in a flash, leaving the two alone.

"Having fun yet?" Raynare asked sarcastically, grinning.

"I'll admit...It's not as awful as I thought it'd be."

Raynare hummed in agreement, nestling her head on Issei's shoulder as they both just enjoyed each other's company.

"You gonna talk to him?"

"What do you think?"

"I think it's taking everything in me not to go push him off the roof."

Issei laughed. Raynare's snark was one of her most attractive features.

"Yeah, me too. But I guess I should, huh? At least see why he came."

"Probably. But I don't think anyone would hold it against you if you didn't. After all, it's our night, not his. If he'd had his way, we wouldn't have been able to be here enjoying it."

"You make a good point." Issei tilted his head onto Raynare's, relishing the softness of her raven hair.

"And he's a prick."

Issei laughed.

"Definitely a prick."

"So what's it gonna be, loverboy?"

"I'll do it later. I'm busy at the moment."

"Damn right you are."

"Aw, look at the lovebirds! Somebody get a picture!" One of the people in the crowd shouted out, and before Issei could even react several phone-cameras flashed. He sighed, but didn't move.

"Dang. They got us." He mumbled, putting his arm around Raynare's waist.

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Beat em up."

Raynare put her arm around his neck in return.

"All of them?"

"Every last one."

"You dork."

"Your dork."

"My dork."

With all the love in the world between them, Raynare and Issei shared a small kiss atop Shangri-La, both as tranquil as could be. A couple shouts of encouragement accompanied the display, but neither of the two really paid them any mind.

"Hey hey, how about a song?!"

"Sing us a song!"

That got Issei's attention. It was definitely Serafall and Elsa's voices, but they were drowned out by a chorus of agreement too fast for him to call the two out.

"Uh oh." The poor groom said, not really feeling another viral video.

Raynare smirked. "Uh oh is right." She didn't really care either way, but she wouldn't mind seeing him sing again as long as it wouldn't make him too uncomfortable.

The crowd seemed almost feral, and Issei was positive he heard kalawarner, Lisa Lisa, and several of his friends call out for him to sing.

"You gonna give me another song, you damn romeo?" Raynare mumbled in good humor. She knew he was popular with the ladies and another song wouldn't help, but she didn't have any intention of letting that get in their way.

"I guess I have to, huh?"

"Looks that way. Knock 'em dead. Give our daughter something to watch when she's bored."

"Daughter?"

Issei barely had time to process the words as a waiter handed him a guitar. Apparently it had been decided that he was singing whether he wanted it or not, and the staff had moved to equip him with a guitar with haste.

"Welp, good thing I drank the wine." Issei mumbled under his breath as he tuned up the guitar. The crowd, even those not attending the party, were dead silent as everyone watched him intently.

He didn't even move from his spot beside Raynare. He threw his right arm around her and snaked his hand to the guitar, aiming for her to share the spotlight with him this time to make it clear who he was really singing for.

 **(AN: Google "Tangled up in you acoustic" and that's this.)**

" _You're my world~, a shelter from the rain…"_

" _You're the pills~, that take away my pain…"_

" _You're the light~, that helps me find my way…"_

" _You're the words~, when I have nothing to say…"_

" _But in this world~, where nothing else is true…"_

" _Here I am~, still tangled up in you~..."_

" _I'm still tangled up in you…"_

A look of absolute bliss was on Issei's face as he sang, and even though he didn't face her Raynare knew exactly who he was talking to. The whole world would too, as just about every soul in the place had a camera out…

...including Raynare.

A quick selfie to hang in the house wouldn't hurt anything, right?

" _You're the fire~, that warms me when I'm cold…"_

" _You're the hand I have to hold as I grow old…"_

" _You're the shore~, when I've been lost at sea…"_

" _You're the only thing that I like, about me…"_

" _And in this world~, where nothing else is true…"_

" _Here I am~, still tangled up in you~! I'm still tangled up in you~..."_

" _How long has it been? Since this story line, began…"_

" _And I hope it never ends~! And goes like this forever~!"_

" _In this world where nothing else is true…"_

" _Here I am, still tangled up in you~! Tangled up in you…"_

" _I'm still tangled up in you…"_

"Still tangled up in you…"

Issei whispered the last line straight into Raynare's ear, sending her poor heart aflutter.

Not a moment after, the crowd roared to life with shouts of admiration and awe. Clapping and shouting and yelling and whistling were just some of the things the boy had to endure, having rekindled his fame.

As he handed the guitar off to a staff member, he sighed. "Honestly I should've expected something like this. Feels like just my luck."

"Oh yeah, poor you. A celebrity with a smoking hot fiance, you've got it rough."

Issei laughed. "Well, when you put it like that…"

Slowly but surely, the crowd died down and went back to doing whatever they had been before. An encore or second song was obviously out of the question, so they didn't press him for anything. Several of them were too busy uploading the video to YouTube to bother him anyway.

"Hey, so what's this about a daughter?"

"Just a hunch."

"A hunch?"

"A mother always knows."

It gave the both of them butterflies when Raynare addressed herself as a mother. It still felt so surreal, that their child was growing inside her every day.

"That was amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

Elsa practically picked Issei up in a hug, having snuck up on him while the couple was talking. She'd been waiting to hear him sing ever since she'd seen the video of the first time, and was more moved than she expected to be.

"Not half bad at all, kiddo. You'll have quite a following." Azazel was waving his phone around, and it had Issei's face on the screen.

"Great…" Issei was one step short of outright groaning, not wanting to be in the spotlight again. He just hoped this time he wouldn't have girls hounding him, since Raynare was literally in his arms while he sang.

"Well, enjoy the rest of your party. I'll be at the bar if you need me. Elsa, why don't you come too?"

"Oh, fine."

Azazel and Elsa retreated, leaving the couple alone again.

"I guess it's about time."

"Yeah."

"He's still on the edge of the roof over there."

"Wonder what he's thinking."

"You get to go find out. I'm gonna find Kalawarner and see if we can't get some real wine." Raynare winked, and Issei shuddered at the thought of Raynare getting her hands on 'real wine.'

Issei set his sights on his true rival, Vali Lucifer. He was in the same spot he'd been for quite a while now, sitting not on a table or stool but on the edge of the roof. No one seemed to pay him any mind, but he wasn't bothering anyone either.

Issei approached him from behind, unsure of what he'd even say. Vali noticed him coming, gesturing to his left side for Issei to sit beside him. He did.

They were both sitting on the edge, legs hanging over the side of the roof with nothing below them but Kuoh Town.

"Nice party."

"Ah, thanks. Not really my idea, but I can't say it isn't fun."

"I'm sure. It's a nice night for this kind of thing."

"Yeah...it is."

Issei wasn't really sure the person he was talking to was still Vali. He was so...somber. So quiet, so tranquil. Nothing remained of the hot-tempered battle maniac from before. He was wearing a laid-back black and white suit, nothing special or flashy.

"I had a dream, you know."

"What was it?"

"To be the strongest. In the whole world."

"Is that why you attacked me?"

"Yeah."

"What's your dream now?"

"I have no idea. But I think I'm beginning to see."

"See what?"

"What it should be," Vali sighed. "I never had an easy life. For a long time, strength was all I knew or recognized. But now, you've shown me something better. Something more real than just power."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So just like that, you're done with your dream?"

"Yeah. Not my dream anymore."

"I...I'm glad to hear that."

Issei didn't really know what to say. What was it about him that made his bullies pour their hearts out?

"I figured you would be."

They sat in silence for a bit, just taking in the sight. Below them, cars were hoking, people were shouting and talking and laughing, and a thousand citizens were just going about their night. Issei found it strangely beautiful.

"I guess I owe you a thanks. And an apology."

"A thanks?" Issei hadn't been expecting either, but an apology was far more warranted than a thank-you.

"You could've killed me. Probably should have. But...you didn't. And for that, I owe you one. And the apology, I'm sure you can figure out."

Despite himself, Issei laughed at the dry humor. Yeah, he _could_ figure that one out.

"Well, uh...apology accepted. And don't worry about thanking me. Just...try to find your dream."

Vali sighed. He didn't really expect Issei to have been this forgiving, and he was _beyond_ out of his element when it came to expressing his emotions or speaking what he was thinking- but somehow it was working.

"I will. You know Koneko?"

"Rias' rook? What about her?"

"Her sister is named Kuroka. She's a friend of mine."

"Alright…"

"She always wanted to be more than friends, but I never gave her the time of day. Was always too obsessed. I think...I think now I will."

"That's good." Issei genuinely thought so, too. For someone like Vali, it would be good to try and slow things down and take it easy with someone close.

"Yeah. I know you didn't have to come talk to me, so...thanks for the chat. I'll get out of your way now. Have a good one."

"Uh, yeah. You too. Thanks for coming." Issei didn't really know what to say. This was so far out of what he understood of Vali's character that he wasn't even really sure it was him.

But then, Vali stood up, and Issei saw. Suddenly, he understood.

It was no wonder the White Dragon could no longer fight.

His right hand was still gone. His right leg was still useless.

The devil summoned a crutch, waved at Issei, and limped over to the elevator. Issei was absolutely dumbstruck. Vali was a cripple. His hand hadn't healed. His leg was still obliterated. He would likely be unable to truly fight for the rest of his life.

And it was all Issei's fault.

But Vali had _thanked_ him for it.

"You see what I mean, darling?"

As he reeled, Lisa Lisa sat down beside him, shocking him out of his thoughts.

"I...what?"

He didn't even know where to start.

"Really, you killed the battle maniac who attacked you, stone cold graveyard dead. What you _spared_ was Vali Lucifer, a damaged boy not too much unlike yourself. He can't say it very well, but he owes you more than just his life. Normally I wouldn't condone violence, but don't you dare go thinking you did anything wrong. You've done more for him that you'll ever know."

"Will he really be okay like that?"

"Oh, yes. It's just a hand, after all. There exist more ways than one to replace it, in this world. I'm sure he'll be just fine. It's his mind that's better off, not his hand or leg."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed."

Smiling, Lisa Lisa stood up and left him alone with his thoughts.

Issei just sighed again, looking out over the city once more.

* * *

 _ **Some time later**_

* * *

"Well, those of you who came for the party, thanks for coming! The rest of you, thanks for tolerating us all!" Elsa was giving a speech, since it was now time to start closing the party. The crowd laughed in response.

"How about a toast?!" Azazel suggested to everyone, standing on his chair.

Issei blanched, not eager to be in the center of attention _yet again_. He and Raynare were in their original seats, with everyone else also in the places they'd been at the beginning of the party hours ago.

Every single person yelled in agreement.

"To these dumb kids, and to getting engaged way too early!" Azazel hoisted his glass, but didn't drink yet.

"Hear hear!"

"To the Red Dragon!"

Once again, a hoist but no drink. The supernatural members of the party understood, the rest just pretended to and went along with it. They assumed it had something to do with his black/red suit.

"Hear hear!"

"To true love, and to good music!"

"Hear hear!"

On that last note, everyone drank.

Issei and Raynare laughed.

* * *

 **I'm not gonna lie- Vali's characterization was _completely_ new to me. I've never read the light novels and don't plan on it, so all I've seen of him so far is being a one-note battle nut. I think I accurately portrayed what he'd be like if his will/means to fight were suddenly ripped away, but I'm sure I'll catch shit from all of you Vali lovers anyway, so oh well.**

 **Also, I hope you all enjoyed the random plug of "Tangled up in You" by Staind. Truth be told, I've been waiting to put it in the story for a really, really long time now. This was the perfect moment, I think. Hope no one hated that.**

 **Once again, I'd like to thank all of you for your beyond kind words on the last chapter. You all helped me more than you could ever know.**

 **Anyway, I'll stop it here for now. Don't forget to review, and I'll see you next mission.**


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